Sobiesław Zasada

Sobiesław Zasada (born 27 January 1930 in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland) is a Polish former rally driver. He won the European Rally Championship in 1966, 1967, 1971 and was vice-champion in 1968, 1969, and 1972. In 1967, he was chosen the Polish Sportspersonality of the Year.

Sobiesław Zasada in 2013

Sobieslaw Zasada first raced motorcycles, and in 1951 entered four-wheel racing. After solid racing performances, he received support from the Polish automobile club in Warsaw. Zasada won the European Rally Champion title in 1966 with Steyr-Puch 650 (the smallest vehicle to achieve such victory) and in 1967 with 4-cylinder Porsche 912. In autumn of 1967 he was victorious driving his flat-six Porsche 911 in the Gran Premio Internacional de Turismo, a 2055-mile stage race across Argentina. In next two seasons Zasada with his Porsche 911 was runner-up in European Rally Championship, conquered only by Pauli Toivonen in 1968 and Harry Källström in 1969. Later on Zasada drove a BMW 2002 TI, regaining his European Champion title in 1971 and being surpassed only by Raffaele Pinto in 1972.

At the time of his successes racing his Porsche 912 in 1967, Zasada owned a four-person auto repair shop in Kraków. By the late 1990s, Zasada was one of the most successful businessmen in Poland. In 1996 Reuters reported that his Polish automotive group Sobieslaw Zasada Centrum SA launched the construction of Mercedes' Vito mini-vans. The launch marked the first production licensee that Mercedes-Benz had granted in eastern Europe. By that time Zasada controlled two utility car factories and several automotive parts plants.

For his sport achievements and for his contribution to the development of Polish sport, he received the Order of Polonia Restituta:

  • Knight's Cross (5th Class);
  • Officer's Cross (4th Class);
  • Commander's Cross with Star (2nd Class) in 2000.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Rauno Aaltonen		 European Rally Champion G2 Class
1966		 Succeeded by
G1: Sobiesław Zasada
G2: Bengt Söderström
G3: Vic Elford
Preceded by
G1: Lillebror Nasenius
G2: Sobiesław Zasada
G3: Günter Klass		 European Rally Champion G1 Class
1967		 Succeeded by
Pauli Toivonen
Preceded by
Jean-Claude Andruet		 European Rally Champion
1971		 Succeeded by
Raffaele Pinto
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