What Car?
If you want to go historic rallying but do not yet have a suitable car, you may be in a quandary over what car to look for. Here's some background that may help you to choose a car to compete in UK historic road rallies.
Please Note: These notes apply to historic road rallies run to MSA regulations, such as events in the HRCR Clubmans Rally Championship or the HRCR Night Rally Championship. For Scenic Tours run by the HRCR, or for the HRCR's new 100 Rally Series events, the rules are very different; vehicle eligibility rules are much more relaxed and you must consult the supplementary regulatiuons issued for the particular event to see if your entry can be accepted.
There are three historic rally car categories, based on vehicle age. You should note that in all three vehicle categories the cut-off dates apply to the date of first registration of the specific vehicle, not to the date of introduction of the model. However, if you have evidence of the date that your specific car left the factory production line, you may use that date for your car's classification instead of the registration date.
Category 1 - up to 1967
When historic rallying started in the UK in the 1980's, the cut-off date was set at 31st December 1967 with the specific intention of excluding the Ford Escort. At that time the Escort was still highly competitive in British rallying and the overwhelming popularity and success of the Escort as a rally car was seen as the cause of the demise of the other classic 1960's rally cars. Historic rallying was intended to create a more even playing field to encourage the revival of exciting but obsolete rally cars like Minis, Healeys, TRs, Cortinas and Rapiers.
A category 1 class split is usually made at 31st December 1959, to give encouragement to the less technically advanced 1950s cars. Pre-war cars are eligible, although few and far between in historic rallying, due to vintage rallies organised for them by the VSCC.
Historic rallying purists will only recognise historic category 1 rally cars as being true historic rally cars!
Category 2 - 1968 to 1974
As historic rallying gained in popularity, some people considered that the cut-off date should be brought forward one year per year, while the purists wanted the date permanently fixed. So as a compromise the post-historic category was introduced, for cars first registered up to 31st December 1974, but this category was only eligible to win its own class awards and could not compete for overall placings in historic rallies. At the time this category was not highly regarded as it could let in many 'old bangers' that were still being used as everyday transport on our roads.
Nowadays however, the ‘class awards only' rule is optional and almost all historic road rallies will allow post-historic (now called historic category 2) cars to win overall awards.
A limitation is made in the MSA's regulations that cars in this category must have no more than 4 cylinders and no more than two carburettor chokes. So anything with 6 or 8 cylinders or with twin Webers is ruled out unless the organisers of the rally apply to the MSA for a waiver to allow the car to run on their event. Getting a waiver for a daytime event is normally not a problem, but don't even ask if it's a night rally as the MSA will not give a waiver. So if you wish to run a Triumph Vitesse, Porsche 911, Lotus Cortina, Alfa Giulia or a Lancia Fulvia, you would be recommended to find one that was manufactured before 31st December 1967, unless you have absolutely no desire to do any rallying in the dark.
Category 3 - 1975 to 1981
Only introduced in 2006, under rules proposed to the MSA by the HRCR, this third category allows cars manufactured up to 31st December 1981 to compete in historic road rallies. Good news for owners of rubber bumpered MGBs and Midgets, later Mini GTs, Talbot Sunbeams, Mk2 Escorts, Dolomites and even some of the very first front wheel drive hatchbacks like the Fiesta and Golf, but not if you own an early Saab 99 Turbo, as turbocharged cars are excluded.
As was originally the case with post-historics, historic category 3 cars can only compete for class awards and not for overall awards. The situation with 6 or 8 cylinders or more than 2 carburettor chokes requiring waivers is the same as for category 2, so will be ruled out of any event with a night section.
Furthermore, all category 3 cars are required to have a Historic Rally Vehicle Identity Document, currently costing £50 to have it verified by the MSA after completing all the forms and attaching photos of various parts of the car. This can take weeks to get sorted and will be most frustrating if the car is in standard specification and you just want to get on and enter your first historic rally.
Modified Cars
Performance modifications acceptable on historic category 1 (up to 1967) and historic category 2 (1968-74) cars are those modifications that were used in rallying in the appropriate period, and if not generally acknowledged you may be asked to provide documentary proof.
However, performance modifications on historic category 3 (1975-81) cars are limited to that specified in the FIA Group 1 (saloon car) or Group 3 (sports car) homologation papers for that model. Copies of lapsed homologation papers are available from the MSA, but at a cost; currently £42 for UK cars and £52 for non-UK cars.
You are recommended to visit the website run by the HRCR's Eligibility Scrutineer Paul Loveridge, for technical information on acceptable modifications. Click on this link: http://www.hrct.co.uk/
Other Considerations
- If you enjoy driving autotests, you may want a car that's nimble and will help you set good times on historic rally special tests. In that case a Mini or small sports car will give a distinct advantage.
- If you want something that's comfortable for long distance rallies and for motorway driving to and from events, consider a larger saloon or a car with an overdrive.
- If you have a re-shelled car, such as a MGB rebuilt into a new Heritage bodyshell, it still qualifies with its original registration date.
- If you have experience or allegiance to a particular make or model, it could be an advantage to stick with it.
- If you want to acquire maximum credibility amongst historic rallying's purists, go for a pre-1960 car.
Added: 9th October 2007 [permalink]
