1979 Dakar Rally, also known as the 1979 Paris–Alger–Dakar Rally, was the first running of the Dakar Rally event. The rally began on 26 December 1978 from Paris, France and finished on 14 January 1979 in Dakar, Senegal, interrupted by a transfer across the Mediterranean. Cyril Neveu won the motorcycle category on a Yamaha, while the car category was won by Alain Génestier in a Range Rover.

Summary

A total of 182 competitors (80 cars, 90 motorcycles and 12 trucks ) contested the inaugural Paris-Dakar Rally, departing the Place du Trocadéro on Boxing Day 1978 to embark upon a 10,000 kilometre journey to the Senegalese capital of Dakar via Algeria, Niger, Mali and Upper Volta. All the vehicles that took part were classified together, although they would compete separately in subsequent editions of the race.

Cyril Neveu won the rally aboard a Yamaha despite not winning any individual stages, taking the lead on the sixth stage after Patrick Schaal (Yamaha) fell and fractured his little finger. Jean-Claude Morellet, competing under the alias of "Fenouil", had been running second until he was forced to retire as his BMW suffered engine failure with less than 200 km of the rally left to run. That promoted Gilles Comte (Yamaha) to second and Philippe Vassard (Honda), the only competitor to complete the Bamako-Nioro stage in the originally allotted time before it was extended, to third.

Alain Génestier's Range Rover was the best of the cars in fourth, ahead of the Renault 4 of the Marreau brothers. Neveu's brother Christophe had led early on in the rally after winning two of the first three stages in his Range Rover, but got lost on the stage between Arlit and Agadez along with around a quarter of the remaining competitors.

Entry list

Number of entries StageBikesCarsTrucksTotalStart of Rally 90 80 12 182End of Rally 34 37 3 74

Competitor list

No. Driver Bike 1 Corinne Koppenhague Suzuki SP 370 2 Gilles Comte Yamaha XT 500 3 Christian Rayer Yamaha XT 500 4 Rudy Potisek Yamaha XT 500 5 Jean-Claude Olivier Yamaha XT 500 6 Jean-Claude Morellet aka 'Fenouil' BMW 800 GS 7 Dominique Martin Yamaha XT 500 8 Patrick Schaal Yamaha XT 500 9 Dominique Sauvetre Yamaha XT 500 10 Thierry Pascault Yamaha XT 500 11 Yves Bon Yamaha XT 500 12 Cyril Neveu Yamaha XT 500 13 Patrick Beaufront Yamaha XT 500 14 Yannick Le Guyader Yamaha XT 500 15 Christian Desnoyer Honda XL 250S 16 Jean-pierre Dos Reis Honda XL 250S 17 Patrice Taravella Honda XL 250S 18 Pierre Mengue Yamaha XT 500 19 Grégoire Verhaeghe Honda XL 125S 20 Patrick Harmand Honda XL 250S 21 Bernard Neimer Honda XL 250S 22 Bruno Dusi Honda XL 250S 23 Philippe Vassard Honda XL 250S 24 Jean-louis Despagne Yamaha XT 500 25 Bernard Mora Yamaha XT 500 26 Henri Gabrelle Honda XL 250S 27 Gilles Desheulles Honda XL 250S 28 Max Commençal Yamaha XT 500 29 Marie Ertaud Yamaha XT 500 30 Michel Montange Honda XL 250S 31 Willi Steiner Yamaha XT 500 32 Bruno Vecchioni Honda XL 250S 33 Alain Quie Honda XL 125S 34 Bernard Atanne Honda XL 250S 35 Olivier Kirkpatrick Yamaha XT 500 36 Bruno Dubois-Trabuc Yamaha XT 500 39 Christian Paul Honda XL 250S 40 Jean Vaneste Yamaha XT 500 41 Martine de Cortanze Honda XL 250S 42 Pascale Geurie Honda XL 250S 43 Christine Martin Honda XL 250S 44 Marie-Dominique Cousin Yamaha XT 500 45 Pierre David MZ 250 46 Jean-Noël Castanet Honda XL 250S 47 Daniel Piton Kawasaki KL 250 48 Jacques Micallef Yamaha XT 500 49 Luc Offenstein Yamaha XT 500 50 Michel Poncet Honda XL 250S 51 Pierre Banino Yamaha XT 500 52 Alain Schaecht Honda XL 250S 53 Pierre Schricke Suzuki TS125 54 Bernard Gautier Honda XL 250S 55 Alain Martin Honda XL 250S 56 Eric Malot Yamaha XT 500 57 Thierry Roghe Honda XL 250S 58 Eric Popineau Honda XL 250S 59 Michel Razet Honda XL 250S 60 Jean-Pierre Tonnelline Honda XL 250S 61 Paul-Eric Allard Suzuki TS125 62 Alain Vial Suzuki SP 370 64 Laurent Gomis Suzuki SP 370 65 Hubert Auriol Yamaha XT 500 66 Philippe Jambert BMW R65 67 Jean-François Chanéac Honda XL 250S 68 Didier Boucher Yamaha XT 500 69 Alain Gaeremynck Suzuki SP 370 70 Alain Padou Honda XL 250S 71 Yannik Lenglet Honda XL 250S 72 Guy Leconte Yamaha XT 500 73 Jacques Maitrot Honda XL 250S 74 Guy Albaret Yamaha XT 500 75 Patrick Meziani Yamaha XT 500 76 Pierre Berty Yamaha XT 500 77 Jean-pierre Pachoud Yamaha XT 500 78 Patrice Dodin Yamaha XT 500 79 Patrick Debuire Yamaha XT 500 81 Serge Dumolin Yamaha XT 500 82 Lionel Rousseau Yamaha XT 500 83 Bernard Rigoni Guzzi TT 500 84 Alain Piatek Guzzi TT 500 85 Alain Legrand Guzzi TT 500 86 Eric Breton Guzzi TT 500 88 Martine Renier Guzzi TT 500 94 Alain Bard Yamaha XT 500

No. Driver Co-driver Co-driver 2/Technician Vehicle 100 Hubert Rigal Dominique Rochette - Range Rover V8 101 Maurice Calamel Michel Calamel - Land Rover 102 Bernard Hervier Christian Caillon - Range Rover V8 103 Daniel Nollan Philippe Hayat Jean-Pierre Domblides Renault KZ 104 Jean-François Piot Pierre Raux Jean-Pierre Boulme Toyota BJ 105 Bernard Maingret Christian Maingret - Mercedes-Benz Unimog 106 Max Hugueny Bernard Trévidic - Toyota Diesel 107 Christian Duboscq Pierre-Emmanuel Froissart - Lada Niva 108 Gérard Mair Georges Vanelslande - Ford Transit 109 Stéphan Bosteels Stéphane Bosteels - Citroën GS 110 François Forestier Philippe Meneau - Toyota BJ 111 Pierre Dagoury Bertrand Tournier - Lada Niva 112 Claude Neveu Gary Carrera Gilles Maurice Toyota BJ 113 Jean-Michel Bordais Marcel Quie - Range Rover V8 114 Philippe Leroux Gilbert Pozzo di Borgo - Toyota BJ 115 Jean-Louis Figureau Jean-Paul Ydraut - Peugeot 504 116 André Piguet Philippe D'Agostino François Jacquin Citroën DS 117 Bernard Lemonnier Jacqueline Lemonnier - Toyota Diesel 118 Pierre Chamagne Raymond Thérage - Peugeot 504 119 Philippe Tiercin Michel Gadeaud - Citroën CX 120 Christophe Neveu Gilles Gaignault - Range Rover V8 121 Michel Delannoy Frédéric Harrewyn - Toyota Diesel 122 Enrico Paci Unknown - Jeep Wagoneer 123 Edi-Paul Heinis Pierre Heinis - Volkswagen 1300 124 François Jacquet Unknown - Land Rover 125 Guy Chambily Michel Desaunay - Toyota BJ 126 Claude Renault Jacques Cholet - Lada Niva 127 Pierre Bouille Gilles Morel - Renault 5 128 Chantal Comte Christiane van Ryswyck - Volkswagen 181 129 Yves Sunhill Jean-Paul Sevin - Buggy Sunhill 130 Pierre-Louis Moreau Jean-Yves Touya - Peugeot 504 131 Claude Marreau Bernard Marreau - Renault 4 Sinpar 132 Pierre Minonzio Jean-Louis Ledentu - Lada Niva 133 Henri Mouren Henri Braquet - Toyota BJ 134 Alain Vandekerkhove Daniel Pichot Gérard Dutertry Toyota BJ 135 Dominique Fougerouse Christine Beckers Marguerite Ondarts Toyota BJ 136 Pierre Fougerouse Anne-Marie de Belabre - Toyota BJ 137 Patrick Barbier Jean-Louis Dieude Michel Hardy Range Rover V8 138 Gérard Sarrazin Lucette Sarrazin - Range Rover V8 139 Philippe Catel Anne Catel - Range Rover V8 140 Agostino Tocci Carlo Fucci - Fiat Campagnola 141 Tommaso Carletti Amarilli Carletti - Fiat Campagnola 142 Franco Arbizzi Giovanni Crappolo - Fiat Campagnola 143 Cesare Giraudo Antonio Cavalleri Mario Cavalleri Fiat Campagnola 144 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 145 Unknown Unknown Unknown Fiat Campagnola 146 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 147 Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 148 Françoise Rayer Chantal Gauche - Lada Niva 149 Jacky Leguy Michel Beaujean - Mercedes-Benz Unimog 150 Jean-Jacques Ratet Robert Ignazi - Toyota BJ 151 Jean-Claude Leclerc Christian Crye - Toyota BJ 152 Franz Deladriere Pierre Deghaye Françoise Deghaye Mercedes-Benz Unimog 153 Guy Deladriere Franz Deladriere - Buggy Strakit 155 Marcel Hugueny Patrick Chapuis - Toyota BJ 156 Jacky Privé Reynald Privé - Range Rover V8 157 Dominique Fondrillon Marcel Schaecht - Toyota BJ 158 Frédéric Gayet Annie Benard - Buggy 159 Michel Etchepar Gérard Loupias - Mercedes-Benz Unimog 160 Francis Humblot Jean-Claude Lombard - Toyota BJ 161 Laurent Bacholle Canut - Toyota BJ 162 Alain Génestier Joseph Terbiaut Jean Lemordant Range Rover V8 163 Jean-François Sausset Pierre Le Monnier - Renault 4 164 Olivier Turcat Dominique de Araujo - Cournil 165 Marc André Philippe Puyfoulhoux - Peugeot 404 Plateu 166 Jean Dominique Clément Anne Clément - Land Rover 167 Christian Sandron Philippe Alberto - Citroën Dyane 168 René Metge Claude Barbier - Range Rover V8 169 Georges Houel Christian Pouchelon - Renault 30 170 Gil Guillot Patrice Pradeau - Cournil 171 Philippe Chapel Sannier Yves Belleville Range Rover V8 172 Jean-Pierre Kurrer Jean-Claude Henriet - Cournil 173 Gérard Dorangeon Bernard Preschey - Renault 5 174 Michel Puren Pierre Dumas - Range Rover V8 175 René Banino Henri Legourriérec - Toyota BJ 176 Claude Sezalory Diven Casarini De Frémont Toyota BJ 177 Eric Vuillemin Daniel Adrian - Peugeot 404 Plateu 178 Dominique Bertrand Thierry De Saulieu Claude Prévost Fiat Campagnola 179 Christian De Cortanze Pierre Rigal - Fiat Campagnola 180 Jean-François Dunac François Beau Jean-Pierre Chapel Pinzgauer 6X6 181 Michel Pignot Jean-Claude Marie - Saviem SM8 182 Max Meynier Francis Zegut Christian Boudas Toyota FJ40 183 Philippe Hrouda Marie-Josée Perez Nicole Chastenet Peugeot 504 Break 184 Jacky Haas Elisabeth Trebuchet Henri Poulain Renault 12 Break 185 Gérard Bouvier Gérard Ceolin Odile Rosanval Peugeot 504 Break 186 Guy Dreumont Serge Rafal - Peugeot 504 Break 187 Alain Mekki Jean Neault - Unic 188 Joseph De Quecker Jean-Pierre Dufour François-Xavier Beaudet Toyota BJ 189 Christian Rodier Bourdex Fabre Mercedes-Benz Unimog 190 Bernard Guengant Christian van Ryswyck Gabriel Sivaly Range Rover V8 191 Michel van Gorp Dominique Pipat - Toyota BJ 192 Daniel Petit Françis Mare - Unic 193 Christian Lacombe Catherine de Mesmaeker Georges Renou Toyota BJ 194 Benoît Chavane Alain Corroler - Talbot Rancho 195 William Mazoyer Unknown - Saviem TP3 196 Pierre Devaux Jean-Louis Malvoisin Roland Digaldi Unic 199 Unknown Meppiel Jardin Mercedes-Benz 200 Thierry Sabine Daniel Lentaigne - Toyota BJ

Source:

Stages StageDateFromToDist.Winner (cars)Winner (bikes)126 December 1978 Paris Montlhéry 3.6 C. Neveu C. Desnoyers27 December 1978 Montlhéry Marseille Liaison only28–30 December 1978Transportation to Africa231 December 1978 Algiers Reggane Liaison only1 January 1979 Reggane In Salah 270 J. Privé C. Rayer2 January 1979 In Salah Tamanrasset Liaison only33 January 1979 Tamanrasset In Guezzam 373 C. Neveu R. Potisek4 January 1979 Assamaka Arlit 230 G. Daurangeon P. Schaal5 January 1979 Arlit Agadez 231 P-L. Moreau J-C. Olivier46 January 1979 Agadez Niamey 230 C. Marreau J-C. Olivier57 January 1979 Niamey Gao 448Stage cancelled8 January 1979 GaoRest day69 January 1979 Gao Mopti 600 A. Génestier G. Comte10 January 1979 Mopti Bamako Liaison only711 January 1979 Bamako Nioro du Sahel 417 C. Giraudo P. Vassard812 January 1979 Nioro du Sahel Kayes 270 None declared C. Rayer13 January 1979 Kayes Bakel Liaison only14 January 1979 Bakel Dakar 96 H. Rigal G. Comte

The above distances (in kilometres) refer only to the competitive timed part of the stage, which make up 3,168 km.

Results Source: Final standings (positions 1–10)Pos.No.Competitor(s)VehicleClass1 12 Cyril Neveu Yamaha XT 500 Moto2 2 Gilles Comte Yamaha XT 500 Moto3 23 Philippe Vassard Honda XL 250S Moto4 162 Alain Génestier Joseph Terbiaut Jean Lemordant Range Rover V8 Auto5 131 Claude Marreau Bernard Marreau Renault 4 Sinpar Auto6 52 Alain Schaecht Honda XL 250S Moto7 143 Cesare Giraudo Antonio Cavalleri Mario Cavalleri Fiat Campagnola Auto8 3 Christian Rayer Yamaha XT 500 Moto9 141 Tommaso Carletti Amarilli Carletti Fiat Campagnola Auto10 134 Alain Vandekerkhove Gérard Dutertry Daniel Pichot Toyota BJ Auto