ERC
Sandro Munari: 1940 - 2026
The FIA European Rally Championship is remembering Sandro Munari, its 1973 champion and one of the sport’s defining figures, who has passed away aged 85.
Munari, who had been in poor health since 2022, became synonymous with Lancia’s rise to prominence and played a central role in establishing the manufacturer as an early force in the FIA World Rally Championship following his heroics at ERC level.
Affectionately known as “Il Drago” (The Dragon), the name Munari remains inseparable from the Lancia Stratos HF, the car he helped develop and drove to four of his 10 ERC victories. They included the 1977 Rally San Martino di Castrozza, his penultimate appearance in the championship.
After making his ERC debut on the Jyväskylän Suurajot in Finland in 1965, Munari managed 35 appearances with his maiden victory coming on the Int. Semperit Rallye six years later.
Munari marches to the 1973 ERC title on Spain's Rallye Firestone
© McKlein
While Munari’s ERC achievements will never be forgotten, he became a master of Rallye Monte-Carlo, claiming four wins including three in succession between 1975 and 1977, a record that underlined his mastery of one of the sport’s most prestigious events.
In 1977 he secured the FIA Cup for Rally Drivers, the forerunner to today’s FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ title, having triumphed on Tour de Corse in 1967. He also demonstrated his versatility by winning the Targa Florio road race when he shared a Ferrari 312PB with Formula One driver Arturo Merzario.
Once the WRC began in 1973, Munari’s command of the rear-wheel-drive Stratos delivered further wins on events including Rallye Sanremo, Rally de Portugal and Tour de Corse, contributing significantly to Lancia’s early world championship success.
In Italy, Munari became rallying’s first mainstream star, elevating the sport’s profile during a golden era of manufacturer competition. His partnership with Lancia remains one of the most celebrated in WRC history.
Following his retirement from top-level competition, Munari remained closely connected to the sport, regularly appearing at historic rallies and anniversary celebrations – particularly those honouring the Stratos.
His impact on the sport, and on Italian rallying, endures.
