Nella prima edizione venne stilata una sola classifica generale. Cyril Neveu divenne il primo vincitore assoluto della Parigi-Dakar.
1979 Paris - Dakar OASIS Cyril NEVEU (FRA) Yamaha XT500
1980 Rallye OASIS de Paris a Dakar  Cyril NEVEU (FRA) Yamaha XT500
1981 Paris - Dakar PARIS MATCH  Hubert AURIOL (FRA) BMW R80G/S
1982 Paris - Alger - Dakar LE POINT - EUROPE 1  Cyril NEVEU (FRA) Honda XR550
1983 Paris - Alger - Dakar LE POINT - EUROPE 1  Hubert AURIOL (FRA) BMW R80G/S
1984 Paris - Alger - Dakar VSD - EUROPE 1 Gaston RAHIER (GER) BMW R80G/S
1985 Paris - Dakar VSD - Chaussettes OLYMPIA Gaston RAHIER (GER) BMW R80G/S
1986 Paris - Alger - Dakar VSD - NASA électronique  Cyril NEVEU (FRA) Honda NXR750V
1987 Paris - Alger - Dakar TELEFUNKEN Cyril NEVEU (FRA) Honda NXR750V
1988 PIONEER Rallye Paris - Alger - Dakar Edi ORIOLI (ITA) Honda NXR800V
1989 PIONEER Rallye Paris - Alger - Dakar Gilles LALAY (FRA) Honda NXR800V
1990 PIONEER Rallye Paris - Tripoli - Dakar Edi ORIOLI (ITA) Cagiva Elefant 900
1991 PIONEER Rallye Paris - Tripoli - Dakar Stephane PETERHANSEL (FRA) Yamaha YZE 750T
1992 Paris - Sirte - Le Cap Stephane PETERHANSEL (FRA) Yamaha YZE 850T
1993 TOTAL Paris - Dakar Stephane PETERHANSEL (FRA) Yamaha YZE 850T
1994 Paris - Dakar - Paris RUCANOR Edi ORIOLI (ITA) Cagiva Elefant 900
1995 Granada - Dakar TOTAL Stephane PETERHANSEL (FRA) Yamaha YZE 850T
1996 Granada - Dakar  Edi ORIOLI (ITA) Yamaha YZE 850T
1997 Dakar - Agades - Dakar TOTAL Stephane PETERHANSEL (FRA) Yamaha YZE 850T
1998 Paris - Granada - Dakar  Stephane PETERHANSEL (FRA) Yamaha YZE 850T
1999 TOTAL Granada - Dakar Richard SAINCT (FRA) BMW F650RR
2000 Paris - Cairo TOTAL Richard SAINCT (FRA) BMW F650RR
2001 Paris - Dakar TOTAL Fabrizio MEONI (ITA) KTM LC4 660R
2002 TOTAL Arras - Madrid - Dakar Fabrizio MEONI (ITA) KTM LC8 950R
2003 Dakar TELEFONICA  Richard SAINCT (FRA) KTM LC4 660R
2004 Dakar TELEFONICA Nani ROMA (SPA) KTM LC4 660R
2005 Barcelona - Dakar TELEFONICA  Cyril DESPRES (FRA) KTM LC4 660R
2006 Lisboa - Dakar EUROMILHÔES Marc COMA (SPA) KTM LC4 660R
2007 Lisboa - Dakar EUROMILHÔES Cyril DESPRES (FRA) KTM 690 Rally
2008 non disputato 
2009 Dakar ARGENTINA CHILE Marc COMA (SPA) KTM 690 Rally
2010 Dakar ARGENTINA CHILE Cyril DESPRES (FRA) KTM 690 Rally
2011 Dakar ARGENTINA CHILE Marc COMA (SPA) KTM 450 Rally
2012 Dakar ARGENTINA CHILE PERU Cyril DESPRES (FRA) KTM 450 Rally
2013 Dakar ARGENTINA CHILE PERU  Cyril DESPRES (FRA) KTM 450 Rally
2014 Dakar ARGENTINA BOLIVIA CHILE Marc COMA (SPA) KTM 450 Rally
2015 Dakar ARGENTINA BOLIVIA CHILE Marc COMA (SPA) KTM 450 Rally
2016 Dakar ARGENTINA BOLIVIA Toby PRICE (AUS) KTM 450 Rally
2017 Dakar ARGENTINA BOLIVIA CHILE Sam SUNDERLAND (GBR) KTM 450 Rally
2018 Dakar PERU BOLIVIA ARGENTINA Matthias WALKNER (AUT) KTM 450 Rally
2019 Dakar PERU Toby PRICE (AUS) KTM 450 Rally
2020 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Ricky BRABEC (USA) Honda CRF 450 Rally
2021 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Kevin BENAVIDES (ARG) Honda CRF 450 Rally
2022 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Sam SUNDERLAND (GBR) GasGas RC 450F
2023 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Kevin BENAVIDES (ARG) KTM 450 Rally Replica
2024 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Ricky BRABEC (USA) Honda CRF 450 Rally
2025 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Daniel SANDERS (AUS) KTM 450 Rally
2026 Dakar SAUDI ARABIA Luciano BENAVIDES (ARG) KTM 450 Rally