# John Buffum

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Buffum
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Buffum.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buffum
> Source revision: 1351951848
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|American rally driver (born 1943)}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2026}}
{{Infobox WRC driver
| image =
| name          = John Buffum
| caption       = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|10|04}}
| nationality   = {{flagicon|USA}} American
| birth_place = [Wallingford](/source/Wallingford%2C_Connecticut), [Connecticut](/source/Connecticut), U.S.
| years         = 1973–2000
| codriver  = {{flagicon|USA}} Wayne Zitkus<br>{{flagicon|CAN}} Robin Edwardes<br>{{flagicon|USA}} "Vicki"<br>{{flagicon|USA}} Doug E. Shepherd<br> {{flagicon|USA}} Tom Grimshaw<br>{{flagicon|UK}} John Brown<br>{{flagicon|UK}} Ian Grindrod<br>{{flagicon|UK}} Neil Wilson<br>{{flagicon|UK}} [Fred Gallagher](/source/Fred_Gallagher_(co-driver))<br>{{flagicon|CAN}} John Bellefleur<br />{{flagicon|UK}} Steve Greenhill
| teams         = Libra Racing<br />[British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland)<br />[Audi](/source/Audi)<br />MIT Motorsport
| races         = 18
| championships = 
| wins          = 0
| podiums       = 2
| stagewins     = 
| points        = 38
| first_race    = [1973 Press on Regardless Rally](/source/1973_Press-on-Regardless_Rally)
| last_race     = [2000 Rallye de Portugal](/source/2000_Rallye_de_Portugal)
}}

''' John Buffum''' (born October 4, 1943, in [Wallingford, Connecticut](/source/Wallingford%2C_Connecticut)) is the most successful U.S. [rally](/source/Rallying) driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 117 national championship events.

==Career==

From 1977 to 1980, when [British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland) dropped out of U.S. racing, he won both the [SCCA ProRally](/source/SCCA_ProRally) series and the North America Rally Championships. In 1981, he competed with an [Audi 80](/source/Audi_80) and [Peugeot 504](/source/Peugeot_504), but they were not competitive compared to [Rod Millen](/source/Rod_Millen)'s factory [Mazda RX-7](/source/Mazda_RX-7) rally cars.<ref>[http://www.rallyracingnews.com/teams/bio-jb.html Biography John Buffum, Rally Racing News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

In addition to his North American schedule, Buffum cherry-picked rallies in Europe, where he became the first and still the only American to win a [European Rally Championship](/source/European_Rally_Championship) event, taking the 1983 Sachs Rally in West Germany and the 1984 [Cyprus Rally](/source/Cyprus_Rally), both with Audi Quattro. He also ran the 1969 [Monte Carlo Rally](/source/Monte_Carlo_Rally) in a Porsche 911.  Buffum is the only driver in the world to compete in at least one World Rally Championship event in five continuous decades (1960's, 1970's, 1980's, 1990's and 2000).

Buffum also helped restart the [Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race](/source/Mount_Washington_Hillclimb_Auto_Race) in 1990 and served as Chief Steward of the hillclimb from 1990 to 2000, again in 2011 and again in 2017.<ref>[http://www.rallyracingnews.com/scca/pr-mtwashington02.html Press Release 2/12/02, Mt. Washington Hillclimb, Rally Racing News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Since the late 1980s, Buffum has owned and managed Libra Racing based in [Colchester, Vermont](/source/Colchester%2C_Vermont). He has been responsible for building cars for the Hyundai Factory rally programme in the US and has worked alongside [Vermont SportsCar](/source/Vermont_SportsCar) on their Subaru Factory programme as a consultant. In 2009, he built the first open class Mitsubishi Evolution X, to campaign in the Rally America national series and the Canadian Rally series.

In 2014, Buffum was elected to the [Vermont Sports Hall of Fame](/source/Vermont_Sports_Hall_of_Fame).

==Complete WRC results==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
|-
! Year
! Entrant
! Car
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! WDC
! Points
|-
| [1973](/source/1973_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! Libra International Racing
! [Ford Escort RS1600](/source/Ford_Escort_RS1600)
| [MON](/source/1973_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1973_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1973_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1973_Safari_Rally)
| [MOR](/source/1973_Rally_of_Morocco)
| [GRE](/source/1973_Acropolis_Rally)
| [POL](/source/1973_Polish_Rally)
| [FIN](/source/1973_1000_Lakes_Rally)
| [AUT](/source/1973_Austrian_Alpine_Rally)
| [ITA](/source/1973_Rallye_Sanremo)
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [USA](/source/1973_Press-on-Regardless_Rally)<br /><small>4</small>
| [GBR](/source/1973_RAC_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1973_Tour_de_Corse)
|
! N/A
! N/A
|-
| [1974](/source/1974_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! Libra International Racing
! [Ford Escort RS1600](/source/Ford_Escort_RS1600)
| [MON](/source/1974_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1974_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1974_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1974_Safari_Rally)
| [GRE](/source/1974_Acropolis_Rally)
| [FIN](/source/1974_1000_Lakes_Rally)
| [ITA](/source/1974_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [CAN](/source/1974_Rally_of_the_Rideau_Lakes)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [USA](/source/1974_Press-on-Regardless_Rally)<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [GBR](/source/1974_Wales_Rally_GB)
| [FRA](/source/1974_Tour_de_Corse)
|
|
|
! N/A
! N/A
|-
| [1976](/source/1976_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! English of Bournemouth
! [Ford Escort RS1600](/source/Ford_Escort_RS1600)
| [MON](/source/1976_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1976_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1976_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1976_Safari_Rally)
| [GRE](/source/1976_Acropolis_Rally)
| [MOR](/source/1976_Rallye_du_Maroc)
| [FIN](/source/1976_Rally_Finland)
| [ITA](/source/1976_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [FRA](/source/1976_Tour_de_Corse)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [GBR](/source/1976_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>Ret</small>
|
|
|
| 
! N/A
! N/A
|-
| [1977](/source/1977_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland)
! [Triumph TR7](/source/Triumph_TR7)
| [MON](/source/1977_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1977_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1977_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1977_Safari_Rally)
| [NZL](/source/1977_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [GRE](/source/1977_Acropolis_Rally)
| [FIN](/source/1977_Rally_Finland)
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [CAN](/source/1977_Crit%C3%A9rium_du_Qu%C3%A9bec)<br /><small>4</small>
| [ITA](/source/1977_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [FRA](/source/1977_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GBR](/source/1977_Wales_Rally_GB)
|
|
|
! N/A
! N/A
|-
| rowspan=2| [1978](/source/1978_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland)
! [Triumph TR7](/source/Triumph_TR7)
| [MON](/source/1978_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1978_Swedish_Rally)
| [KEN](/source/1978_Safari_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1978_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [GRE](/source/1978_Acropolis_Rally)
| [FIN](/source/1978_Rally_Finland)
| style="background:#000; color:#fff"| [<span style="color:white">CAN</span>](/source/1978_Crit%C3%A9rium_du_Qu%C3%A9bec)<br /><small>DSQ</small>
| [ITA](/source/1978_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [CIV](/source/1978_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| [FRA](/source/1978_Tour_de_Corse)
|
|
|
|
! rowspan=2| N/A
! rowspan=2| N/A
|-
! Spantape / Louvercurtain
! [Ford Escort RS1800](/source/Ford_Escort_RS1800)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [GBR](/source/1978_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>Ret</small>
|
|
|
|-
| [1979](/source/1979_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland)
! [Triumph TR8](/source/Triumph_TR8)
| [MON](/source/1979_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1979_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1979_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1979_Safari_Rally)
| [GRE](/source/1979_Acropolis_Rally)
| [NZL](/source/1979_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [FIN](/source/1979_Rally_Finland)
| [CAN](/source/1979_Crit%C3%A9rium_du_Qu%C3%A9bec)
| [ITA](/source/1979_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [FRA](/source/1979_Tour_de_Corse)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [GBR](/source/1979_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [CIV](/source/1979_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
|
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [1980](/source/1980_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [British Leyland](/source/British_Leyland)
! [Triumph TR7 V8](/source/Triumph_TR7_V8)
| [MON](/source/1980_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1980_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1980_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1980_Safari_Rally)
| [GRE](/source/1980_Acropolis_Rally)
| [ARG](/source/1980_Rally_Argentina)
| [FIN](/source/1980_Rally_Finland)
| [NZL](/source/1980_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [ITA](/source/1980_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [FRA](/source/1980_Tour_de_Corse)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [GBR](/source/1980_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [CIV](/source/1980_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
|
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [1981](/source/1981_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! John Buffum
! [Triumph TR7 V8](/source/Triumph_TR7_V8)
| [MON](/source/1981_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1981_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1981_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1981_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1981_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1981_Acropolis_Rally)
| [ARG](/source/1981_Rally_Argentina)
| [BRA](/source/1981_Rally_of_Brazil)
| [FIN](/source/1981_Rally_Finland)
| [ITA](/source/1981_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [CIV](/source/1981_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [GBR](/source/1981_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>Ret</small>
|
|
! NC
! 0
|-
|| [1982](/source/1982_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [Audi Sport](/source/Audi_Sport_GmbH)
! [Audi Quattro](/source/Audi_Quattro)
| [MON](/source/1982_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1982_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1982_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1982_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1982_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1982_Acropolis_Rally)
| [NZL](/source/1982_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [BRA](/source/1982_Rally_of_Brazil)
| [FIN](/source/1982_Rally_Finland)
| [ITA](/source/1982_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [CIV](/source/1982_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| style="background:#CFCFFF"| [GBR](/source/1982_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>12</small>
|
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [1983](/source/1983_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [BF Goodrich Motorsport](/source/BFGoodrich)
! [Audi Quattro A1](/source/Audi_Quattro_A1)
| [MON](/source/1983_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1983_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1983_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1983_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1983_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1983_Acropolis_Rally)
| [NZL](/source/1983_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [ARG](/source/1983_Rally_Argentina)
| [FIN](/source/1983_Rally_Finland)
| [ITA](/source/1983_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [CIV](/source/1983_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [GBR](/source/1983_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>5</small>
|
|
! 28th
! 6
|-
|| [1984](/source/1984_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [BF Goodrich Motorsport](/source/BFGoodrich)
! [Audi Quattro A2](/source/Audi_Quattro_A2)
| [MON](/source/1984_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1984_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1984_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1984_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1984_Tour_de_Corse)
| style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [GRE](/source/1984_Acropolis_Rally)<br /><small>5</small>
| [NZL](/source/1984_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [ARG](/source/1984_Rally_Argentina)
| [FIN](/source/1984_Rally_Finland)
| [ITA](/source/1984_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [CIV](/source/1984_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [GBR](/source/1984_Wales_Rally_GB)<br /><small>Ret</small>
|
|
! 24th
! 8
|-
| [1986](/source/1986_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! [Audi Sport](/source/Audi_Sport_GmbH)
! [Audi Sport Quattro S1](/source/Audi_Sport_Quattro_S1)
| [MON](/source/1986_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1986_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1986_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1986_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1986_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1986_Acropolis_Rally)
| [NZL](/source/1986_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [ARG](/source/1986_Rally_Argentina)
| [FIN](/source/1986_Rally_Finland)
| [CIV](/source/1986_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| [ITA](/source/1986_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [GBR](/source/1986_Wales_Rally_GB)
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [USA](/source/1986_Olympus_Rally)<br /><small>3</small>
|
! 18th
! 12
|-
| [1987](/source/1987_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! Libra Racing
! [Audi Coupé Quattro](/source/Audi_Coup%C3%A9_Quattro)
| [MON](/source/1987_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1987_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1987_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1987_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1987_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1987_Acropolis_Rally)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [USA](/source/1987_Olympus_Rally)<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [NZL](/source/1987_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [ARG](/source/1987_Rally_Argentina)
| [FIN](/source/1987_Rally_Finland)
| [CIV](/source/1987_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| [ITA](/source/1987_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [GBR](/source/1987_Wales_Rally_GB)
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [1988](/source/1988_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! Libra Racing
! [Audi Coupé Quattro](/source/Audi_Coup%C3%A9_Quattro)
| [MON](/source/1988_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1988_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1988_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1988_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1988_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1988_Acropolis_Rally)
| style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [USA](/source/1988_Olympus_Rally)<br /><small>3</small>
| [NZL](/source/1988_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [ARG](/source/1988_Rally_Argentina)
| [FIN](/source/1988_Rally_Finland)
| [CIV](/source/1988_Rallye_C%C3%B4te_d'Ivoire)
| [ITA](/source/1988_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [GBR](/source/1988_Wales_Rally_GB)
|
! 20th
! 12
|-
| [1993](/source/1993_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! MIT Motorsport
! [Honda Civic SiR](/source/Honda_Civic_(fifth_generation))
| [MON](/source/1993_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/1993_Swedish_Rally)
| [POR](/source/1993_Rallye_de_Portugal)
| [KEN](/source/1993_Safari_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/1993_Tour_de_Corse)
| [GRE](/source/1993_Acropolis_Rally)
| [ARG](/source/1993_Rally_Argentina)
| [NZL](/source/1993_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [FIN](/source/1993_Rally_Finland)
| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [AUS](/source/1993_Rally_Australia)<br /><small>Ret</small>
| [ITA](/source/1993_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [ESP](/source/1993_Rally_de_Catalunya)
| [GBR](/source/1993_Wales_Rally_GB)
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| [2000](/source/2000_World_Rally_Championship_season)
! John Buffum
! [Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V](/source/Mitsubishi_Lancer_Evo_V)
| [MON](/source/2000_Monte_Carlo_Rally)
| [SWE](/source/2000_Swedish_Rally)
| [KEN](/source/2000_Safari_Rally)
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [POR](/source/2000_Rally_Portugal)<br /><small>26</small>
| [ESP](/source/2000_Rally_Catalunya)
| [ARG](/source/2000_Rally_Argentina)
| [GRE](/source/2000_Acropolis_Rally)
| [NZL](/source/2000_Rally_New_Zealand)
| [FIN](/source/2000_Rally_Finland)
| [CYP](/source/2000_Cyprus_Rally)
| [FRA](/source/2000_Tour_de_Corse)
| [ITA](/source/2000_Rallye_Sanremo)
| [AUS](/source/2000_Rally_Australia)
| [GBR](/source/2000_Rally_GB)
! NC
! 0
|}

==References==
''Rally Racing News'' [http://www.rallyracingnews.com/teams/bio-jb.html John Buffum biography]. Retrieved December 31, 2004.
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.libraracing.com Libra Racing, John Buffum's company.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060316114022/http://www.johnbuffum.com/ JohnBuffum.com - John Buffum's homepage.]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=VZ2jPAAACAAJ&q=in+like+a+lamb+out+like+a+lion In Like a Lamb...Out LIke a Lion] Champion co-driver and former National PRO Rally Manager, Tom Grimshaw, tells John Buffum's story and the course of rally racing in the United States.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110614054247/http://www.scca.com/newsarticle.aspx?hub=6&news=2756 2006 SCCA Hall of Fame Class Announced]
*[http://www.vermontsportshall.com/buffum2014.html Vermont Sports Hall of Fame Bio]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buffum, John}}
Category:1943 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Wallingford, Connecticut
Category:Sportspeople from New Haven County, Connecticut
Category:World Rally Championship drivers
Category:American rally drivers
Category:Trans-Am Series drivers
Category:Audi Sport drivers
Category:Racing drivers from Connecticut
Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers
Category:20th-century American sportsmen

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Buffum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buffum) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Buffum?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.