Group C Cars Return To Brands Hatch
Group C cars return to Brands Hatch at the London Historic Trophy, 19th–21st June. 13 iconic cars, from five different manufacturers, will revive the sound, speed and visual drama of one of the most memorable chapters in the 100-year history of the circuit. Kenny Acheson will be back at the wheel of the Sauber C9, the same model with which he won the 1989 Brands Hatch 1000kms.
Are there any words more evocative to a motorsport buff than Group C? In the 1980s, it gave rise to a generation of legendary cars that wrote some of the most glorious chapters in endurance racing history. It was an endurance racing era for the free radicals; a loose framework of rules designed to encourage designers and engineers to push the technological envelope further than it had ever been pushed before.
These cars were fast, and theatrical. The bark, whistle and whirling flame of the Porsche turbo cars; the thunderous gut punch of the Mercedes V8; the howling roar of the Jaguars. All remain burned in the memories of those lucky enough to experience these cars in period.
The visual appeal of Group C cars lay in the purity of their lines, in the way the bubble cockpit sat in perfect proportion to their width and length, and the imposing shapes that created the ideal billboard for some of motor sport’s greatest liveries. Forty years later, we still cannot get enough of these wonderful sports cars and an era where grids and grandstands alike were bursting at the seams. It was motorsport at its most unadulterated and excessive. This was the 1980s, after all.
Group C cars also hold a special place in the history of the Brands Hatch circuit, where they went head‑to‑head on eight occasions between 1982 and 1989. This rich heritage will be celebrated at the London Historic Festival, with two spectacular demonstration runs, Saturday at 13:05 and Sunday at 12:40, bringing 13 authentic Group C machines back to life. For spectators, it promises a rare opportunity to see, hear and feel one of endurance racing’s greatest eras on one of Britain’s most iconic circuits.
Porsche
The 956 and its direct descendant, the 962, probably won more international motor races than any other car, unless you count all the derivatives of Porsche’s own 911. Its longevity is exceptional, with seven victories at Le Mans spanning from 1982 to 1994, the final one achieved by the 962-based Dauer GT LM. The design outlived the category for which it had been created.
Four examples will be present at the London Historic Trophy, including the first customer chassis. Entered by the Kremer Team, chassis 956-101 was variously driven by F1 World Champions Alan Jones, Mario Andretti and Keke Rosberg, and finished third at Le Mans in 1983.
Chassis 007 was one of just two new lightweight Rothmans works cars built for 1987, and then updated to Shell Dunlop spec for Le Mans 1988. It has now been returned to its 1987 livery and sprint body specification.
By contrast, chassis C04 spent its competitive career in the United States. The “C” in its serial number denotes the rare and highly desirable Chapman honeycomb aluminium chassis, licensed by Porsche and prized for its increased stiffness and durability.
Chassis 962-RLR 201 also played host to a future Formula 1 world champion, with Damon Hill making his one and only appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at its wheel in 1989. The car now wears the pink livery in deference to its Japanese sponsor from the 1990 season.
Porsche chassis at London Historic Trophy:
956 chassis 101
962 chassis 007
962 chassis C04
962 chassis 201 RLR
Jaguar
A Silk Cut‑liveried Jaguar is probably the first image many British fans conjure up when Group C is mentioned, but Jaguar’s history in the category began with green machines. The XJR story started in the United States under the stewardship of the privateer Group 44 Racing team. Born in 1982, the V12‑powered XJR‑5 claimed six victories in the IMSA championship and, most significantly, marked Jaguar’s return to Le Mans for the first time since the 1960s. Chassis #11 is the very last one built and remains immaculately preserved as an unraced example, in white with green stripes.
Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) brought Jaguar back to the track in the World Sportscar Championship (WSC) in 1985, but the real success began in 1987. The TWR team and the XJR‑8, in its iconic purple livery, proved an almost unbeatable combination, winning eight out of ten races and both driver and team championships in 1987. Chassis C‑387 finished fifth at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the Spa 1000 km in the hands of Johnny Dumfries, Martin Brundle and Raoul Boesel.
The next evolution, the XJR‑9, saw Jaguar return to the top of the Le Mans podium for the first time since 1957. The chassis presented at the London Historic Trophy secured victory at Brands Hatch in 1988, one of five WSC wins, and competed four times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Converted into an XJR‑12 in 1990, it now wears the livery it bore at La Sarthe in 1991, where it finished second behind the Mazda 787B.
Jaguar chassis at London Historic Trophy:
XJR-5 chassis #11
XJR-8 chassis J12-C-387
XJR-12 chassis J12-C-990
Mercedes
If Porsche dangled a carrot for the rest to chase in the formative years of Group C, Mercedes‑Benz devoured it with the Sauber‑built C9. Powered by a mighty 5.0‑litre twin‑turbocharged V8, the Mercedes engine could produce up to 800 horsepower. On the Mulsanne Straight during qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989, the C9 clocked a scarcely believable 248 mph. The Sauber C9 has a strong history at Brands Hatch, with victory at the Kent circuit in 1989 with Kenny Acheson and Mauro Baldi. The Silver Arrows would win eight of the nine races in the 1989 FIA World Sportscar Championship, in the process laying the technical and competitive foundations for an even more formidable successor.
Emerging as the ultimate expression of Mercedes’ five‑litre turbocharged Group C philosophy, the C11 It would surely have claimed many more victories had the regulations not changed. The menacing Leo Ress‑designed machine proved pivotal in Mercedes’ modern motorsport history and, in several respects, paved the way for the manufacturer’s return to Formula 1. In 1990, the C11 won all but one race and comfortably secured the teams’ championship. Chassis 00 was the development car.
Sauber-Mercedes chassis at London Historic Trophy:
C9 chassis 89.C9.A1
C11 chassis 89.C11.00
Nissan
Nissan had shown an interest in Group C as early as 1986, but the 1990 R90CK marked the true high point of the manufacturer’s assault on Le Mans. That year, no fewer than seven cars were entered, giving Nissan not only a numerical advantage but also an opportunity to showcase its technical ambition. Carbon brakes were introduced for the first time, a development made viable by the addition of two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight, which helped keep brake temperatures under control.
In qualifying, the twin‑turbocharged V8 was pushed, apparently thanks to a technical fault that shut the wastegates, to an extraordinary 1,128 hp. Driven by British driver Mark Blundell, the R90 became the first Japanese car to claim pole position at Le Mans, with a time of 3:27.02 and a top speed of 366 km/h, which is still the highest ever recorded on the chicaned straight. Chassis 03 started from pole position at Le Mans, although the qualifying lap itself was set using the spare ‘T’ car.
By contrast, Nissan’s fortunes were far brighter in America. Racing cars developed by California‑based Electramotive Engineering secured four consecutive IMSA titles between 1988 and 1991 with Geoff Brabham at the wheel. The NPT‑90 stands as the ultimate evolution of these machines, its twin‑turbocharged power delivery and high‑downforce bodywork combining to make it one of the fastest and most powerful racing cars ever built.
Nissan chassis at London Historic Trophy:
R90CK chassis #3
NPT-90 chassis #4
Spice
Group C2 gave aspiring amateurs and smaller racing teams the chance to get involved and fight for their own silverware. Spice, the company started by Ray Bellm and touring car great Gordon Spice, ultimately emerged as the most successful marque in the category, claiming four Le Mans victories and four world titles, including wins at Brands Hatch in 1988 and 1989. That said, Spice cars were not always confined to C2.
Both cars entered at the London Historic Trophy were built to race in the premier GTP category in the United States. SE89P chassis 003 was the only one to be fitted with the extremely capable Chevrolet V8 engine developed by Pratt & Miller. Sold new to Jim Miller Racing, it finished second on three occasions and regularly beat Porsches, Jaguars and Nissans. SE90P chassis 009 was sold new to John Hotchkis and wears the stunning purple livery of Wynn’s automotive products. The team partnered with GM, and the 6.0-litre small-block V8 was branded as a Pontiac.
Spice chassis at London Historic Trophy:
SE89P chassis 003
SE90P chassis 009
Kenny Acheson Reunites with Sauber-Mercedes C9
At the London Historic Trophy, Kenny Acheson will once again take the wheel of a Sauber Mercedes C9, the car with which he enjoyed the finest season of his career. In 1989, it carried him to victories at Brands Hatch and Spa-Francorchamps, as well as a runner up finish at Le Mans. The Northern Irishman also produced the drive of his life in the opening round at Suzuka, tackling the 480km race single handedly in an unfamiliar machine and charging from 30th on the grid into the lead before obeying team orders to finish second.
Reflecting on that season in Autosport in 2023, Acheson said: “The overriding thing is I was just really fortunate to be picked by Sauber to race the car that year. Even when I got picked, I couldn’t believe I was picked! I was in Japan and I was doing a good job but nobody in Europe knew me, so to get that [drive] and have a year with it was really good. That whole year was great. The team was just an incredibly nice place to be where they were competitive and very good at what they did. The car was a pleasure to drive, the only car I’ve driven and realised I’d got a smile on my face. The two wins are nice to have, and I suppose you can say ‘I won a world sportscar race’ but to be honest finishing second at Suzuka was probably to me personally as good.”
Group C winners at Brands Hatch
1982 Ickx / Bell (Porsche 956)
1983 Warwick / Fitzpatrick (Porsche 956)
1984 Palmer / Lammers (Porsche 956)
1985 Stuck / Bell (Porsche 962 C)
1986 Wollek / Baldi (Porsche 956 GTi)
1987 Boesel / Nielsen (Jaguar XJR-8)
1988 Brundle / Nielsen / Wallace (Jaguar XJR-9)
1989 Baldi / Acheson (Sauber-Mercedes C9/88)