Jean-Luc Thérier

Jean-Luc Thérier (7 October 1945 – 31 July 2019) 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.

Jean-Luc Thérier

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

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").^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[1][2][3] He died on 31 July 2019 at the age of 73 after a long illness.^[1]

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

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	WDC	Points
1973	Alpine-Renault	Alpine-Renault A110 1800	MON 5	SWE 3	POR 1	KEN		GRE 1	POL EX	FIN	AUT	ITA 1	USA	GBR ret	FRA 3	N/A	N/A
		Alpine-Renault A110 1600S					MOR 7
1974	Alpine-Renault	Alpine-Renault A110 1800	MON C	SWE C	POR	KEN Ret	GRE C	FIN	ITA	CAN						N/A	N/A
		Renault 17 Gordini									USA 1	GBR
		Alpine-Renault A310 1800											FRA 3
1975	Alpine-Renault	Alpine-Renault A310 1800	MON Ret	SWE							FRA Ret	GBR				N/A	N/A
		Alpine-Renault A110 1800			KEN Ret	GRE	MOR	POR	FIN	ITA 3
1976	Alpine-Renault	Alpine-Renault A310 1800	MON Ret	SWE	POR	KEN	GRE	MOR	FIN	ITA	FRA					N/A	N/A
	Team Toyota	Toyota Celica 2000 GT (RA21)										GBR Ret
1977	Team Toyota	Toyota Celica 2000 GT (RA21)	MON	SWE	POR	KEN	NZL	GRE	FIN	CAN	ITA	FRA Ret	GBR Ret			NC	0
1978	Toyota	Toyota Celica 2000 GT (RA21)	MON	SWE OTL	KEN	POR Ret	GRE Ret	FIN	CAN	ITA	CIV					NC	0
		Toyota Celica 2000 GT (RA40)											GBR Ret
	British Leyland Cars	Triumph TR7 V8										FRA Ret
1979	Cresson S.A.	Volkswagen Golf GTi	MON 97													NC	0
	Toyota Team Europe	Toyota Celica 2000 GT (RA40)		SWE Ret	POR Ret	KEN	GRE Ret	NZL	FIN	CAN	ITA	FRA	GBR Ret	CIV Ret
1980	BP Racing Volkswagen Sport	Volkswagen Golf GTi	MON Ret													12th	20
	Toyota Team Europe	Toyota Celica 2000 GT (RA40)		SWE	POR Ret	KEN	GRE Ret	ARG	FIN	NZL	ITA
	Alméras/Esso	Porsche 911 SC										FRA 1	GBR	CIV
1981	Eminence Alméras	Porsche 911 SC	MON 95	SWE	POR Ret	KEN	FRA Ret	GRE	ARG	BRA	FIN	ITA Ret	CIV	GBR		NC	0
1982	Eminence Alméras	Porsche 911 SC	MON 3	SWE	POR Ret	KEN										15th	12
	Renault Elf	Renault 5 Turbo					FRA Ret	GRE	NZL	BRA	FIN	ITA	CIV	GBR
1983	Renault Elf	Renault 5 Turbo	MON Ret	SWE	POR Ret	KEN	FRA Ret	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	ITA	CIV	GBR		NC	0
1984	Renault Elf	Renault 5 Turbo	MON 4	SWE	POR	KEN	FRA	GRE	NZL	ARG	FIN	ITA	CIV	GBR		19th	10