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

Complete IMC results

Complete WRC results