Oliver Solberg scored his maiden WRC victory at last weekend’s Rally Estonia, which also earned the 100th victory for Toyota in the World Rally Championship.
The Japanese manufacturer has competed in the WRC since the inaugural season in 1973, and has been one of its top marques save for an 18-year absence at the turn of the millennium. Toyota boasts eight manufacturers’ titles, including the last four in a row.
Toyota’s maiden WRC win came at the 1973 Press On Regardless Rally in Michigan courtesy of Canadian rally great Walter Boyce in a Corolla. He had acquired the car from Toyota Canada and had the help of dealerships, which of course was not to the same extent of factory backing seen in today’s sport.
Warren Major of the Ottawa Journal wrote that Boyce’s victory in the POR Rally “firmly established (him) as one of North America’s top rally drivers,” while the Associated Press put emphasis on him and co-driver Doug Woods being part of a “Canadian team”. Boyce took home $2,000 (about $14,480.41 today) of the $9K ($65,161.82) in prize money available.
Now, nearly 52 years and 99 wins later, Toyota’s hit the century mark with Solberg.
“It’s been a pleasure for us to give him this opportunity and to see him take it so well, and for this to be the 100th win for Toyota too,” said Toyota Gazoo Racing deputy principal Juha Kankkunen. During his driving days, Kankkunen contributed to nine of those victories.
Toyota’s 100 WRC wins
- 1973 Press On Regardless Rally: Walter Boyce in a Toyota Corolla 1600
- 1975 1000 Lakes Rally: Hannu Mikkola in a Corolla
- 1982 Rally New Zealand: Björn Waldegård in a Celica 2000GT
- 1–2 finish for Toyota with Per Eklund in second
- 1983 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire: Björn Waldegård in a Celica TCT
- Per Eklund finished third
- 1984 Safari Rally: Björn Waldegård in a Celica TCT
- 1985 Safari Rally: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica TCT
- 1–2 finish with Waldegård
- 1985 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica TCT
- 1–2 finish with Waldegård
- 1986 Safari Rally: Björn Waldegård in a Celica TCT
- 1–2 finish with Lars-Erik Torph
- 1986 Rallye Côte d’Ivoire: Björn Waldegård in a Celica TCT
- 1–2–3–4 finish with Lars-Erik Torph, Erwin Weber, and Robin Ulyate
- 1989 Rally Australia: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1–2 finish with Kenneth Eriksson
- 1990 Safari Rally: Björn Waldegård in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- Mikael Ericsson finished third
- 1990 Acropolis Rally: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1990 Rally New Zealand: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1990 1000 Lakes Rally: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1990 Rally GB: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1991 Rallye Monte-Carlo: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1991 Rallye de Portugal: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1991 Tour de Corse: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1991 Rally New Zealand: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1991 Rally Argentina: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1991 Rally Catalunya: Carlos Sainz in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1992 Swedish Rally: Mats Jonsson in a Celica GT-Four ST165
- 1992 Safari Rally: Carlos Sainz in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1992 Rally New Zealand: Carlos Sainz in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1992 Rally Catalunya: Carlos Sainz in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1992 RAC Rally: Carlos Sainz in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1993 Rallye Monte-Carlo: Didier Auriol in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1993 Swedish Rally: Mats Jonsson in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1–2 finish with Juha Kankkunen
- 1993 Safari Rally: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- Podium sweep with Markku Alén and Ian Duncan
- 1993 Rally Argentina: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- Didier Auriol finished third
- 1993 1000 Lakes Rally: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- Didier Auriol finished third
- 1993 Rally Australia: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1993 RAC Rally: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1994 Rallye de Portugal: Juha Kankkunen in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1–2 finish with Didier Auriol
- 1994 Safari Rally: Ian Duncan in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- Didier Auriol finished third
- 1994 Tour de Corse: Didier Auriol in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- Andrea Aghini finished third
- 1994 Rally Argentina: Didier Auriol in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1994 Rallye Sanremo: Didier Auriol in a Celica Turbo 4WD
- 1995 Tour de Corse: Didier Aurol in a Celica GT-Four ST205
- 1998 Rallye Monte-Carlo: Carlos Sainz in a Corolla WRC
- 1998 Rally Catalunya: Didier Auriol in a Corolla WRC
- 1–2 finish with Freddy Loix
- 1998 Rally New Zealand: Carlos Sainz in a Corolla WRC
- 1–2 finish with Didier Auriol
- 1999 Rally China: Didier Auriol in a Corolla WRC
- Carlos Sainz finished third
- 2017 Rally Sweden: Jari-Matti Latvala in a Yaris WRC
- 2017 Rally Finland: Esapekka Lappi in a Yaris WRC
- 2018 Rally Argentina: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- 2018 Rally Finland: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- Jari-Matti Latvala finished third
- 2018 Rallye Deutschland: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- Esapekka Lappi finished third
- 2018 Rally Turkey: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- 1–2 finish with Jari-Matti Latvala
- 2018 Rally Australia: Jari-Matti Latvala in a Yaris WRC
- 2019 Rally Sweden: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- 2019 Rally Chile: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- 2019 Rally de Portugal: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- 2019 Rally Finland: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- Jari-Matti Latvala finished third
- 2019 Rallye Deutschland: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- Jari-Matti Latvala finished third
- 2019 Wales Rally GB: Ott Tänak in a Yaris WRC
- 2020 Rally Sweden: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris WRC
- Kalle Rovanperä finished third
- 2020 Rally Mexico: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 2020 Rally Turkey: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris WRC
- 2020 Rally Monza: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 2021 Rallye Monte-Carlo: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2021 Croatia Rally: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2021 Rally de Portugal: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris WRC
- Sébastien Ogier finished third
- 2021 Rally Italia Sardegna: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2021 Safari Rally: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 2021 Rally Estonia: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 2021 Acropolis Rally: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris WRC
- 2021 Rally Finland: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris WRC
- 2021 Rally Monza: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris WRC
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2022 Rally Sweden: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- Esapekka Lappi finished third
- 2022 Croatia Rally: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 2022 Rally de Portugal: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2022 Safari Rally: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2022 Rally Estonia: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2022 Rally New Zealand: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 2022 Rally Catalunya: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- Kalle Rovanperä finished third
- 2023 Rallye Monte-Carlo: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Kalle Rovanperä
- 2023 Rally Mexico: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- Elfyn Evans finished third
- 2023 Croatia Rally: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris Rally1
- 2023 Rally de Portugal: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 2023 Safari Rally: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- Podium sweep with Kalle Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans
- 2023 Rally Estonia: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2023 Rally Finland: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris Rally1
- Takamoto Katsuta finished third
- 2023 Acropolis Rally: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2023 Rally Japan: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris Rally1
- Podium sweep with Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä
- 2024 Safari Rally: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Takamoto Katsuta
- 2024 Croatia Rally: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2024 Rally de Portugal: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- 2024 Rally Poland: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2024 Rally Latvia: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Sébastien Ogier
- 2024 Rally Finland: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- 2024 Rally Chile: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2024 Rally Japan: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Sébastien Ogier
- 2025 Rallye Monte-Carlo: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Elfyn Evans
- 2025 Rally Sweden: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris Rally1
- 1–2 finish with Takamoto Katsuta
- 2025 Safari Rally: Elfyn Evans in a Yaris Rally1
- 2025 Rally Islas Canarias: Kalle Rovanperä in a Yaris Rally1
- Podium sweep with Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans
- 2025 Rally de Portugal: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- 2025 Rally Italia Sardegna: Sébastien Ogier in a Yaris Rally1
- Kalle Rovanperä finished third
- 2025 Rally Estonia: Oliver Solberg in a Yaris Rally1
Featured image credit: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool


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