The Galant VR-4 made its World Rally Championship debut in 1988 and won two rounds the following year, quickly becoming the most competitive car in the WRC. Its successes were not confined to the WRC however, as Galants also featured strongly in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC), the European Rally Championship (ERC) and the Middle East Rally Championship, among others well into the 1990s. Building on the worldwide success of professionals and amateurs alike, an evolution model was unveiled at the Acropolis Rally in mid-1991, its fifth year of competition. On its debut, the car was quickest on 30 of the 48 stages - a sensational debut.
The evolution model didn't win during its first season, but the previous model made up for that with victories on the Swedish and Ivory Coast Rallies. In particular, the Ivory Coast saw Kenjiro Shinozuka¹s victory, the first overall win by a Japanese driver on a round of the World Rally Championship. 1992 brought the career of the factory-entered VR-4 to a close and was not especially successful. The main reason for this was that much effort was already being put into the development of the next WRC car, the Lancer Evolution, but news of Shinozuka winnig consecutively in the Ivory Coast was very welcome. Galant privateers also excelled, Erwin Weber (Germany) becoming the first driver to win the European Rally Championship in a Japanese car. In addition, Ross Dunkerton of Australia won the driver's title in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship for two straight years during 1991 and '92. The Galant took the Manufacturers Championship as well.
With these six victories in the WRC, the Galant VR-4 went on to win championships around the globe and was indeed a success as a rally car. Naturally, the 4WD technology first tried in the Starion and developed in the Galant was soon to be carried over to the Lancer Evolution.
1988 Asia Pacific Rally Championship Drivers' Champion (K. Shinozuka)
1989 Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2nd in Manufacturers' Championship
1989 Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2nd in Drivers' Championship (R. Dunkerton)
1990 World Rally Championship 2nd in Manufacturers' Championship
Major Results 1991-1992:
1991 Swedish Rally (WRC) 1st
Hanki Rally (European Rally Championship) 1st
Indonesia Rally (APRC) 1st
Malaysia Rally (APRC) 1st
Rally Austraria(WRC) 2nd
Cyprus Rally(ERC) 1st
Valais Rally (European Rally Championship) 1st
Bandama Rally(WRC) 1st
RAC Rally(WRC) 2nd
World Rally Championship(WRC) 3rd in Manufacturers' Championship
Asia Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) Manufacturers' Champion
Asia Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) Drivers' Champion (R.Dunkerton)
1992 Zlatni Piassatzi (European Rally Championship) 1st
Polish Rally (European Rally Championship) 1st
Barum Rally (European Rally Championship) 1st
Rallye Deutchland (European Rally Championship) 1st
Hunsruck (European Rally Championship) 1st
Rally of Indonesia(APRC) 1st
Rallye ELPA (European Rally Championship) 1st
Rally of Malaysia(APRC) 1st
Bandama Rally(WRC) 1st
Rally of Thailand(APRC) 1st
European Rally Championship(ERC) Drivers' Champion (E.Weber)
Asia Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) Manufacturers' Champion
Asia Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) Drivers' Champion (R.Dunkerton)
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