Frenchman Rene Metge won the Paris-Dakar Rally three times – After the death of Thierry Sabine, he took over the reins and also organized the Africa Eco Race
A legend of rally-raid sport and an all-rounder at the wheel of cars has passed away at the age of 82. Rene Metge embarked on his final journey on January 3, 2024. The Frenchman wrote several chapters in the history of motorsport, including for Porsche.
Metge was born on October 23, 1941 in Montrouge, south of Paris. He began his career in motorsport in 1973 and raced in various series and classes in his home country. Metge developed into a true all-rounder.
In 1979, the Dakar Rally was held in Africa for the first time. In the third edition in 1981, Metge drove to overall victory with his co-driver Bernard Giroux. The two Frenchmen drove a Range Rover from Paris to Dakar.
For 1984, Porsche had developed the 953, a heavily modified 911 for the requirements of the rally. Three vehicles were brought to the start. Metge and co-driver Dominique Lemoyne took victory.
Porsche used the 953 to test all-wheel drive at the time. This was then used in the 959, which was originally developed for Group B. The 959 was ready for the Paris-Dakar in 1985. However, there were still technical problems in the first year.
But in 1986, Porsche celebrated a one-two victory at the Paris-Dakar with Metge/Lemoine and Jacky Ickx/Claude Brasseur. Metge has won the only overall victories for Porsche in the history of the rally. Recently, Porsche completely restored a 959 from back then from the ground up.
The 1986 rally was overshadowed by the death of founder and rally director Thierry Sabine. His helicopter was caught in a sandstorm in Mali and crashed. Metge stepped in and acted as director of the rally in 1987 and 1988.
Parallel to the Paris-Dakar, he also contested circuit races. Metge competed in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1987. In 1982, he finished fifth with his compatriots Dany Snobeck and Francois Servanin in a Porsche 935-K3.
When the Dakar Rally finally left Africa for South America after its cancellation in 2008, Metge organized the Africa Eco Race with his friend Jean-Louis Schlesser. It will take place for the 15th time in early 2024
