Luis Moya
As the calm, calculating voice beside Carlos Sainz, he helped steer one of rallying's most successful partnerships to two world championships.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Spanish rally co-driver·Birthday: September 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Luis Moya, born in A Coruña, Spain, redefined the role of the co-driver in the high-stakes world of rally racing. His partnership with driver Carlos Sainz, formed in the late 1980s, became one of the sport's most formidable and enduring alliances. Moya was far more than a map reader; he was a strategist, a pace-setter, and an emotional anchor, his steady voice cutting through the chaos of gravel, snow, and tarmac stages. Together, they claimed two World Rally Championship titles for Toyota and Subaru, their success built on a foundation of meticulous preparation and unshakeable trust. Moya's career, which saw him stand on the podium over 40 times, cemented the co-driver as an equal partner in the quest for speed, his legacy measured in perfectly called pace notes and shared triumphs.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Luis was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Luis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Luis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the World Rally Championship driver's title twice as co-driver to Carlos Sainz, in 1990 and 1992.
- Achieved 25 rally victories and 44 podium finishes in the World Rally Championship across his career.
- Served as a key figure in the successful Toyota and Subaru factory teams during the 1990s golden era of rallying.
- His partnership with Carlos Sainz is one of the longest and most successful in WRC history, spanning over a decade.
Did You Know?
He is the third most successful co-driver in World Rally Championship history by number of victories.
Before his rally career, he studied law at university.
He and Carlos Sainz were known for their distinctive blue and yellow helmets.
After retiring, he moved into team management roles within the WRC.
“Left five over crest into right six tightens, don't cut.”
