 Thérier in 2003 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  French |
| Born | (1945-10-07)7 October 1945 Hodeng-au-Bosc |
| Died | 31 July 2019(2019-07-31) (aged 73) Neufchâtel-en-Bray |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1973–1984 |
| Co-driver | Marcel Callewaert Jacques Jaubert Christian Delferier Alain Mahé Michel Vial Vincent Laverne |
| Teams | Alpine, Toyota, Porsche, Renault |
| Rallies | 46 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 5 |
| Podiums | 10 |
| Stage wins | 61 |
| Total points | 42 |
| First rally | 1973 Monte Carlo Rally |
| First win | 1973 Rallye de Portugal |
| Last win | 1980 Tour de Corse |
| Last rally | 1984 Monte Carlo Rally |
Jean-Luc Thérier (7 October 1945, Hodeng-au-Bosc – 31 July 2019, Neufchâtel-en-Bray) was a French rally driver. He was the highest scoring driver in the inaugural World Rally Championship in 1973 and the only one to win three events. However, until 1977 the championship was only formally contested by manufacturers, not individuals, so only Thérier's Alpine-Renault team were formally awarded the title.
He most frequently competed in an Alpine Renault A110; the French often refer to him and his fellow drivers Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Bernard Darniche, and Jean-Claude Andruet as Les Mousquetiers ("The Musketeers").
Career
Thérier's first international victory came at the wheel of an Alpine A110, at the Rallye Sanremo and the Acropolis Rally in 1970. He won the same two events again in 1973, along with the 1973 Rallye de Portugal, during his annus memorabilis. He also won the 1974 Press-on-Regardless Rally in the United States driving a Renault 17 Gordini, and the 1980 Tour de Corse behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 SC.
Thérier also won a half-dozen national, French rally titles. He participated at 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, failing to finish in 1967, 1969, and 1977, and finishing tenth in 1968 while winning the Index of Thermal Efficiency.
He participated in the Monte Carlo Rally 13 times between 1969 and 1984, with second place in 1971 as best result there. His career lasted until early 1985 when he suffered severe injuries while participating in the 1985 Paris to Dakar rally. He died on 31 July 2019 at the age of 73 after a long illness.
Results
WRC victories
# Event Season Co-driver Car 1 
7º TAP Rallye de Portugal
1973 Jacques Jaubert Alpine-Renault A110 1800 2 
21st Acropolis Rally
1973 Christian Delferrier Alpine-Renault A110 1800 3 
15º Rallye Sanremo
1973 Jacques Jaubert Alpine-Renault A110 1800 4 
26th Press-on-Regardless Rally
1974 Christian Delferrier Renault 17 Gordini 5 24ème Tour de Corse - Rallye de France
1980 Michel Vial Porsche 911 SC
Complete IMC results
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Alpine Renault | Alpine-Renault A110 1600 | MON Ret |
SWE | ITA 1 |
KEN | AUT Ret |
GRE 1 |
GBR Ret |
||
| 1971 | Alpine Renault | Alpine-Renault A110 1600 | MON 2 |
SWE Ret |
ITA Ret |
KEN | MAR | AUT Ret |
GRE Ret |
GBR Ret |
|
| 1972 | Alpine Renault | Alpine-Renault A110 1600 | MON ? |
KEN | MAR Ret |
GRE | AUT | ITA Ret |
USA | GBR | |
| Renault 12 Gordini | SWE Ret |
Complete WRC results
References
- ^ Dupuis, Jacques-Armand (31 July 2019). "Jean-Luc Thérier est mort". Auto Hebdo (in French).
- "A Neufchâtel-en-Bray. Le pilote de rallye automobile, Jean-Luc Thérier est décédé". 31 July 2019.
- "Disparition du Normand Jean-Luc Thérier, champion du monde de rallye sur Alpine". 31 July 2019.
External links
- Profile of Thérier, Rallybase.nl
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byNone | Most rally wins 4 wins, 1st at the 1973 Rallye de Portugal |
Succeeded bySandro Munari 7 wins, 5th at the 1976 Rallye de Portugal |