Australian Group C Touring Cars

[DAVID PATERSON]

As of 1st January 2002, Former Australian Group C Touring cars will be recognised by CAMS as 5th category Historic Cars.

This is something I believe should have happened many years ago. We need to do something about the void period between when a car is contemporary and historic. Many cars are permanently lost during this downtime. I'm sure many Group C cars were chopped up to make Sports Sedans or detuned to make Road cars during the last 17 years and now I'm concerned that Group C races will inevitably and permanently suffer from poor fields.

Unlike other genuine historic classes however, they can't be combined with anything else to make up a full feild. They are simply not compatible with ANY other 5th category class.

[Hobson]

Do you have any pics of what you are talking about?
I'm picturing a kind of DTM car. Are they like the Classic Thunder on here: www.csccgb.co.uk

[Vitesse]

David, I'm intrigued, but it would help if you could explain what the hell a "Group C touring car" actually is, as in Europe such a class description is a contradiction in terms: Group C to me means sports cars, but sports cars ain't touring cars! What we call touring cars are what you and the Yanks call sedans - so do you see how I have problems visualising this?
I presume we're talking big Holdens and Aussie Fords here ...

[DAVID PATERSON]

In 1973 a new class of touring cars was introduced to Australia. It was called Production Touring cars and was a hybrid of the two classes it was replacing, series production (stock standard sedans)and Improved Touring (vaguely similar to Classic Thunder). Actually, it was quite similar to your Group 1.

In 1980 the name was changed to Group C Touring Cars, I don't know why, and the rules were changed slighlty. The only significant differences being some models were added to or removed from the eligibility list and wheel arch flares and spoilers were now allowed.

Of course, big V8 Ford Falcons and Aussie Holdens dominated the racing, but there were many other models also competing. 3 litre class honours were shared by Ford Capri and Mazda Rx-3. 2 litre & 1600cc classes were keenly contested by Ford Escort, Holden Gemini(Vauxhall Chevette), a variety of Japanese cars, especially the Toyota Corolla and even a VW Golf GTi.

[Ray Bell]

You're right, of course, that many raced on as Sports Sedans... but there were so many of the things that numbers shouldn't be a real issue...

They're about, or back on the road, perhaps (some of the Capris, for instance), plenty are there somewhere.

Anyway, they'll race with the latter day Group N cars...

And as for Group C, who knows? Another way CAMS has made life difficult in Australia.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Well Ray, numbers are an issue. Group C Touring Cars have been running outside of the 5th category for the last couple of years and even with only a limited number of meetings per year, they're averaging 8-10 cars per meeting. The cars which became Sports Sedans are almost certainly modified beyond repair and thus lost forever. Also, you must realise that most of these cars weren't famous or valuable in their day so most of those which were demoted to road duty would probably be untraceable today, assuming they haven't been written off after 20 odd years on the road.

As a Group N Historic Touring Car competitor I can assure you that Group C cars would definitely not fit into our races. They are far more modified, with much larger wheels and slick tyres. The speed differential would be dangerous to say the least.

I would love to see a full field of Group C Touring Cars in their own race, but i don't see how it is possible and more so i don't see anything at all being done about preventing Group A cars and early model V8 Tourers from going exactly the same way.

[Ray Bell]

I bow out of this because there is enough different Historic Touring Car categories...