Tommi Mäkinen won his fourth drivers' world championship driving for Mitsubishi, ahead of Richard Burns and Didier Auriol.
In an upset predicted two years earlier a two-wheel-drive car won a rally for the first time since Alain Oreille won the 1989 Rallye Côte d'Ivoire in his Renault 5 when Philippe Bugalski took his Citroën Xsara Kit Car to victory in the Rally Catalunya.
The 1999 championship was contested over fourteen rounds in Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania.
Notes: 1 2 3 – Indicate position on TV Covered Stage () Denotes dropped score.
(*) – Volkswagen were not classified for not homologating their Golf Kit Car at the start of the season.