The 1983 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 38th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider. It was the first time the World Final had been held in West Germany.

Final summary

An near-capacity crowd of around 50,000 at the 400 m long Motodrom Halbemond circuit, saw local favourite Egon Müller became the first German rider to win the World Championship. Australian champion Billy Sanders, scored his best ever World Championship placing by finishing second, with England's 1980 World Champion Michael Lee finishing third. With both Sanders and former champion Lee in good form, and with the winner of the previous two world finals Bruce Penhall having retired from speedway while on the podium at the 1982 world final, the 1983 final was expected to be one of the most open in years. Others including Kenny Carter, Dennis Sigalos, and Danes Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen and Erik Gundersen, were all expected to challenge. Like surprise winner Jerzy Szczakiel who won at home in Poland in 1973, Egon Müller was expected to do well in front of his home crowd, but wasn't among the pre-meeting favourites. In his last world final appearance Ole Olsen, the 1971, 1975 and 1978 World Champion, finished 6th with 10 points. Olsen won his last ride, defeating Gundersen, Czechoslovakia's Jiří Štancl, and American Lance King in heat 18.

First round

New Zealand qualification

British qualification

Swedish qualification

Second round

Continental preliminary round

British semi-finals

Third round

Continental quarter-finals

Sweden Finals

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Norwegian qualifying

Finland Final

Danish Final

British Final

American Final

Australian Final

New Zealand final

Fourth round

Continental semi-finals

Overseas Final

Nordic Final

Fifth round

Continental Final

Intercontinental Final

World Final