Group A - International Touring Car Formula

[Steve Holmes]

The FIA introduced the Group A touring car regulations in 1982. Group A required that 2500 vehicles had to be produced in a 12 month period, for specific parts to be homologated, and that a special 'Evolution' of just 500 vehicles could be produced separate of the initial 2500.

Group A was first introduced in 1983, in the British Saloon Car Championship (1983-90), but then quickly spread to Germany (1984-92), Australia (1985-92), Japan (1985-93), and New Zealand (1984-92). Additionally was the European Touring Car Championship, held from 1983-88, and the World Touring Car Championship, which took place in 1987.

It was broken into three classes, based on engine size: 0-1,600cc, 1,601-2,500cc, and over 2,500cc. Weight formula's were used based on the production vehicle.

More than 60 different vehicle models were homologated for Group A, although as manufacturers sought to produce evolution models specifically for the formula, the racing became dominated by a single marque. The Ford Sierra RS500 dominated from 1988, the Nissan Skyline R32 from 1990.

But regardless, Group A produced some exciting racing, and some memorable cars. The 1984-86 period was possibly the most competitive, with Ford Sierra (XR4i), Volvo (240T), Jaguar (XJS), Rover (Vitesse), BMW (635CSi), and Holden (Commodore) all enjoying race winning success in the various countries the formula was used during this period, and no single marque appeared to dominate.

With all the Group A photos and stories appearing on The Roaring Season, this seems like a good time to start a thread dedicated to this formula.

Photo above courtesy Nigel Watts.

[Steve Holmes]

I've always had a soft spot for the Ford Sierra Cosworth and RS500. I still recall the first media photo I saw of one of these cars in 1986, and I still remember the first one I saw in the flesh, a brand new Moonstone Blue example in a car dealers showroom. They looked quite unique, in an era when cars were modelled off shoe boxes.

The first team in the world to get a handle on making the Sierra Cosworth both fast and reliable was Rudy Eggenbergers team. The Texaco sponsored Eggenberger Sierra's ran the full 1987 WTCC, winning the title, only to then be stripped of the championship on account of their wheel arch openings being too large.

Both Andy Rouse, who competed in the British Touring Car Championship and selected WTCC races in 87, and Dick Johnson, who competed in the Australian Touring Car Championship, managed to get on top of the Sierra by 1988, and each dominated their respective championships, while Eggenberger dominated the European Touring Car Championship after the WTCC was killed off.

Only one time, at Silverstone for the Touring Trophy race, which was also round 10 of the 1988 WTCC, did all three teams go head to head, not counting the Bathurst and Calder WTCC races in '87, where neither Johnson nor Rouse fared at all well. Johnson only took his Sierra to England in '88 because his cars showing the previous year when the Europeans visited, was quite an embarrassment for him, and he wanted to make amends.

The '88 Silverstone TT race was well publicised as a battle of the worlds best Sierra teams, but nobody expected Johnsons Australian car to dominate the way it did. Sadly, the Australian Sierra didn't reach the finish.

Here are highlights of that race.

[Steve Holmes]

750K! Yikes. Brock appeared at the first Wellington Street race in a VK Commodore sponsored by UDC Finance, which was supposed to be the first Brock Commodore built for Group A. I didn't do anything particularly well, and I don't think it had even raced in Aus yet as the 1985 ATCC was still a couple of months away. This car was quickly replaced from memory. So was this the car pictured above?

[Shano]

This car? Kept lunching its valve gear and timing chain, IIRC.

[aussiemonza]

This car? Kept lunching its valve gear and timing chain, IIRC.

This car did a couple of the early rounds of the ATCC before being sold to Tony Fall at GM Opel. The car has ended up back in Australia and was restored as the French TCC but will return to early MHDT Group A.

[Steve Holmes]

This car did a couple of the early rounds of the ATCC before being sold to Tony Fall at GM Opel. The car has ended up back in Australia and was restored as the French TCC but will return to early MHDT Group A.

Thats good to know Rowan! I hadn't realised it had left Australia.

[Steve Holmes]

Thats the one Shano, I knew someone on here would have a photo of it.

[timbo61]

I have heard that Australian Group C and Group A touring cars will be on the support race list for the 2012 Australian F1 Grand Prix, probably replacing F5000.

[TonyG]

Correct as heard

[Steve Holmes]

They'll be racing this weekend at the Muscle Car Masters at Eastern Creek also.

[Steve Holmes]

I know the 2 Litre Supertouring category was attempted in the US when it was taking over the world in the early to mid 1990s. But did Group A ever get started in the US?

[Steve Holmes]

Ray Smith/Denny Hulme Commodore. I believe this is a Brock built car? Second shot shows the Commodore being chased by the Dick Johnson/Neville Crichton Mustang. Crichton arranged JPS sponsorship for the Mustangs two NZ appearances. It looked awesome! Any experts on here who can tell me if the Mustang was actually painted black, or if it was just wrapped in a giant vinyl sticker?

[jimdigris]

Ray Smith/Denny Hulme Commodore. I believe this is a Brock built car?

The original Denny Hulme "Gold Bullion" car was definatly built by the HDT after 85 the car was sold and updated to VK SS Group A and became the Bob Jane T-Marts car raced by Crosby in 1986, and if you were at Bathurst that year if you ever saw the car with the boot open you would have seen it still painted gold in the boot

[jimdigris]

did Group A ever get started in the US?

No. But feelers were put out by one Australian party to get GM to homologate the 1984 IROC Camaro for the 85 season once CAMS announced Australia was going Group A in 85. GM werent interested at all, wouldnt even submit the paperwork, even after being told the Ford Mustang was homolgated. Shame really. They saw it purely as European and hence no sales there, no local interest, no point. And in the US, if US manufacturers arent involved, then no-one cares

[Steve Holmes]

No. But feelers were put out by one Australian party to get GM to homologate the 1984 IROC Camaro for the 85 season once CAMS announced Australia was going Group A in 85. GM werent interested at all, wouldnt even submit the paperwork, even after being told the Ford Mustang was homolgated. Shame really. They saw it purely as European and hence no sales there, no local interest, no point. And in the US, if US manufacturers arent involved, then no-one cares

Thanks Jim. Re the Camaro, I also vaguely recall a story appearing in Auto Action about the Camaro being homologated for Group A, but of course it came to nothing. Naturally, AA interviewed Kevin Bartlett for the story.

[Steve Holmes]

Some nice action shots here by Warwick Clayton from the 1986 Wellington Street Race.

Rouse/Oxton Sierra XR4i

[TonyG]

[Steve Holmes]

Nice pics Tony. I only discovered recently that the Morton/Francevic XE Falcon Group A car has been owned by George Sheweiry for many years!

[jimdigris]

Nice pics Tony. I only discovered recently that the Morton/Francevic XE Falcon Group A car has been owned by George Sheweiry for many years!

This being a NZ temporary approval to compete? AFAIK the XE was never homologated in pure Group A, I do recall Dicky racing an XE in NZ but the car wasnt his, it was a cross between NZ production racing and the inoming Group A regulations, tons of grunt but no brakes and dodgy transmission, didnt it have non-standard front and rear spoilers, similar (probably was) to what came out on the Australian "sports pak" model?

[Steve Holmes]

This being a NZ temporary approval to compete? AFAIK the XE was never homologated in pure Group A, I do recall Dicky racing an XE in NZ but the car wasnt his, it was a cross between NZ production racing and the inoming Group A regulations, tons of grunt but no brakes and dodgy transmission, didnt it have non-standard front and rear spoilers, similar (probably was) to what came out on the Australian "sports pak" model?

The Falcon was actually fully legal to race in Group A, but I believe this may have only the case in NZ, using the same rule that initially allowed the Commodore to race in Aus. According to reports at the time, the FIA allowed locally sold NZ cars to have a production number of just 200. However, I've always been slightly confused by this, as my understanding is the XE Falcon V8 was never assembled in NZ. The XD had been, but the liveliest model was the 302ci Fairmont Ghia, with auto transmission!

True, the three Falcons that raced in New Zealand Group A had all come from the local production series which evolved into Group A. I once asked Bruce Anderson how it was the front and rear spoilers were fitted to the cars when racing in Group A trim, given they were never a production feature. He said his team fitted spoilers to their car, and nobody pulled them up on it, so they just left them there.

Ford Australia were never interested in racing the Falcon in Group A, so this model had a very limited life, even in NZ.