The Foundation

BORN IN 1969
FORGED IN DUST

Founded by the Lusaka Motor Club with John Ireland as Clerk of the Course, the Zambia International Motor Rally began as a brutal 2,000-mile test of machine and spirit — and grew into one of the oldest events on the African Rally Championship calendar.

1969

The First Running

The first Zambia National Rally is flagged off by the Lusaka Motor Club. Mike Bond and Tim Madrell win in a Datsun 1600 — a car that would define the rally's first decade. A young Satwant Singh finishes third in a Peugeot 404.

1970s

The Marathon Years

A 2,000-mile endurance epic across Zambian gravel. Datsun 1600s dominate; Satwant Singh takes his first recorded win in 1975 in a Datsun 710 — the start of the greatest career in the rally's history.

1977 — 1984

The Wilderness Years

Economic crisis forces the rally into hiatus. For eight years the dust settles — but the Lusaka Motor Club keeps the flame alive.

1985 — 1998

The Satwant Era

The rally returns and joins the African Rally Championship. Satwant Singh reels off win after win — Opel Manta 400, VW Golf, Hyundai Accent and Elantra, Subaru Impreza — on his way to a record 14 victories. Billy Rautenbach (Audi Quattro, 1987) and Manjit Sandhu (1988) briefly interrupt the reign.

2000s

Group N Battleground

Subaru vs Mitsubishi defines the decade. Jess Watson wins back-to-back (2004–05), Conrad Rautenbach takes 2006, and Muna Singh Sr claims a home win in 2007 on his way to back-to-back ARC titles.

2013 — 2017

The Next Generation

Mohammed Essa wins back-to-back (2013–14), Jaspreet Chatthe takes 2015, and Jassy Singh wins at home in 2016 — the year after becoming the youngest ARC champion in history. Manvir Baryan's Škoda Fabia R5 dominates 2017–18, signalling the Rally2 era.

2021 — 2024

The Patel Invasion

Carl Tundo wins the 2021 return; then Kenya's Karan Patel and Tauseef Khan reel off a hat-trick (2022, 2023, 2024). In 2022 Leroy and Urshlla Gomes finish second at home — enough to seal Zambia's first ARC title since 2013. The 2024 edition moves to Ndola in the Copperbelt.

2025 — 2026

The Second Hiatus

FIA affiliation fees force ZMSA to shelve the 2025 rally — and in January 2026 the association confirms there will be no 2026 edition either. The fight to return is on. Read the full story →

The Arsenal

MACHINES OF WAR

From Datsun 1600s to Rally2 machinery — the cars that conquered Zambian gravel.

Subaru Impreza
GROUP N • AWD

Subaru Impreza WRX STi

The weapon of choice for Satwant Singh, Muna Singh and Mohammed Essa. Symmetrical AWD and boxer rumble dominating Zambian stages for decades.

300+
HP
5
Speed
AWD
Drive
Skoda Fabia
RALLY2 • MODERN

Škoda Fabia R5

The new generation. Manvir Baryan and Karan Patel's weapon for ARC dominance. Lightweight, turbocharged, devastatingly fast on African gravel.

280
HP
5
Speed
AWD
Drive
70s
Datsun 1600 / 710
The marathon-era heroes
00s
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo
The challenger — Watson, Miyoshi, Gomes
20s
Ford Fiesta R5 / VW Polo R5
Patel & Tundo's modern machinery
Winners Since 1969

THE HONOUR ROLL

Every recorded winner of the Zambia Rally. Data via eWRC-results.com.

Year Driver Car

Selected editions with verified results. The rally did not run 1977–1984, 2019–2020, and 2025–2026.