1996 Dakar Rally, also known as the 1996 Paris-Dakar Rally, was the 18th running of the Dakar Rally event. It began on 29 December 1995 with a prologue stage in Granada, Spain - the second successive year the event began away from the traditional starting point of Paris - and ended in the Senegalese capital of Dakar on 14 January 1996. Pierre Lartigue won the car class for the third year in succession for Citroën and Edi Orioli won his fourth motorcycle title for Yamaha.[1] Viktor Moskovskikh secured the first trucks class title for the Russian Kamaz marque.
| Stage | Date | From | To | Total (km) | Stage winners | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bikes | Cars | ||||||
| P | 29 December | 0.3 |  K. Shinozuka | ||||
| 1 | 30 December |  Granada | 4 | ||||
| 2 | 31 December | 149 |  A. Vatanen | ||||
| 3 | 1 January |  Oujda | 328 | A. Vatanen | |||
| 4 | 2 January | Er-Rachidia | 540 |  S. Peterhansel | P. Wambergue | ||
| 5 | 3 January | Fam El Hisn | 474 | S. Peterhansel | P. Lartigue | ||
| 6 | 4 January | Smara | 603 | J-P. Fontenay | |||
| 7 | 5 January |  Zouerat | 365 | A. Vatanen | |||
| 8 | 6 January | Atar | Zouerat | 511 | H. Masuoka | ||
| 7 January | Zouerat | Rest day | |||||
| 9 | 8 January | Zouerat | El Mreiti | 629 | J. Arcarons | P. Wambergue | |
| 10 | 9 January | El Mreiti | 632 | A. Vatanen | |||
| 11 | 10 January | Tichit | 530 |  E. Orioli | J-P. Fontenay | ||
| 12 | 11 January | Kiffa | 275 | D. Trolli | P. Wambergue | ||
| 13 | 12 January |  Kayes | 516 | F. Meoni | A. Vatanen | ||
| 14 | 13 January | Labe | 620 | F. Meoni | A. Vatanen | ||
| 15 | 14 January |  Tambacounda | Dakar | 20 | J. Arcarons | A. Vatanen |
| Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Entrant | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Edi Orioli | Yamaha | Yamaha Belgarda-Mobil 1 | 72:31:03 | |
| 2 | 2 | Jordi Arcarons | KTM | Lucky Strike-KTM | +1:05:45 | |
| 3 | 20 | Carlos Sotelo | KTM | Lucky Strike-KTM | +5:48:09 | |
| 4 | 12 | Gerard Jimmink | KTM | +6:44:53 | ||
| 5 | 17 | Richard Sainct | KTM | Gauloises Blondes-KTM | +7:35:38 | |
| 6 | 29 | Guido Maletti | Kawasaki | Kawasaki Italy | +11:18:23 | |
| 7 | 65 | Oscar Gallardo | Cagiva | Pelayo Mutua de Seguros | +11:33:12 | |
| 8 | 134 | Massimo Chiesa | KTM | +12:23:44 | ||
| 9 | 57 |  Norbert Schilcher | KTM | +12:38:08 | ||
| 10 | 35 | Marcel Pilet | KTM | AO American Optical | +13:34:39 |
| Pos | No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Car | Entrant | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 201 | Pierre Lartigue | Michel Perin | Citroën | Citroën Sport | 65:44:38 | |
| 2 | 207 | Philippe Wambergue |  Fred Gallagher | Citroën | Citroën Sport | +1:11:54 | |
| 3 | 206 | Jean-Pierre Fontenay | Bruno Musmarra | Mitsubishi | Sonauto Mitsubishi | +1:42:13 | |
| 4 | 203 | Ari Vatanen | Gilles Picard | Citroën | Citroën Sport | +1:49:53 | |
| 5 | 205 | Salvador Servia | Jaime Puig | Citroën | Citroën Sport | +3:16:45 | |
| 6 | 208 | Hiroshi Masuoka | Andreas Schulz | Mitsubishi | Sonauto Mitsubishi | +6:26:20 | |
| 7 | 202 | Bruno Saby | Dominique Serieys | Mitsubishi | Sonauto Mitsubishi | +11:06:06 | |
| 8 | 216 | Giacomo Vismara | Mario Cambiaghi | Ssangyong | Ssangyong Motor | +20:22:40 | |
| 9 | 209 | Thierry Delavergne | Luis Arguelles | Nissan | Team Dessoude | +21:17:09 | |
| 10 | 212 | Jean-Pierre Strugo | Bruno Catarelli | Mitsubishi | +23:38:51 |