Rewind Tour Britain launched at Thruxton

The 1970s Tour of Britain was an innovative format, with stars of stage and circuit fighting head-to-head in lightly modified family saloons. Massive names like James Hunt – the inaugural winner in 1973 – as well as Graham Hill and Roger Clark were challenged on rally stages and circuit races as part of an epic journey across the country.

Rewind Tour Britain will capture that same spirit of adventure, reshaped in a new format to fit modern historic motorsport culture. FIA Appendix J and K historic regulations will form the technical framework, with full regulations to be issued shortly, but the cars must be road legal and run standard tyres.

From fast tracks like Thruxton to special stages around Blenheim Palace – the jewel in the crown of the event, with RAC Rally history – this multi venue challenge linked by great driving roads is already attracting some of the best drivers across Europe.
This thrilling new event brings disciplines that normally operate in isolation into one continuous competitive framework. Further details on the exact route, as well as more information about the format of stages and races, will be released soon.

Quotes

Shaun Lynn, Chairman of Motor Racing Legends (MRL) said:
“This is a bold event, which blends a storied past with a brand new concept. Rewind Tour Britain is about putting proper all-round competition back at the centre of historic motorsport. It’s not a parade and it’s not a re-enactment. It’s a serious test that asks drivers to adapt, think and perform across everything motorsport can throw at them throughout some truly spectacular venues across the country. It will not be just the drivers though, as the teams will need good strategy and reliability.”

Ben Taylor, CEO of the British Automobile Club (BARC), said:
“What we have launched today is genuinely different. Bringing racing and rallying together in one event is ambitious, but that’s exactly why it matters. Our home at Thruxton was the right place to announce it, and the response today shows there is real appetite for something that challenges convention while maintaining a strong connection to the past.”

Pierre-Antoine Lecoutour, CEO of Motor Racing Legends, said:
“There is strong demand across Europe for events that offer more depth than single-discipline competition. Rewind Tour Britain has been built with an international audience in mind, using Britain as a compact yet challenging showcase.”

Racing driver David Brabham said:
“This is exactly the kind of format that drivers want and love, with something for everyone. It puts you up against people from different disciplines and forces you to raise your game. It’s a great platform to take each other on properly, and it’s going to be an amazing event.”

Rally driver Matt Edwards said:
“The Tour of Britain is an event that has gone down in motorsport history with so many famous names as part of it, so it’s amazing to see it live again in a brand new format with a nod to the past. As a showcase for some amazing cars and drivers, it promises to be absolutely fantastic.”

Event and eligibility

Rewind Tour Britain is scheduled to run across the country over three and a half days in May 2027, covering approximately 460 miles. The event will feature four circuit races and 12 closed-road rally stages, all on tarmac, linked by public-road liaison sections and navigated by road book as well as official pace notes. Performance across all disciplines will count toward one overall result.

Competition venues include Thruxton, Shelsley Walsh and Castle Combe, alongside special stages run across estates, hill climbs, and military ranges like Caerwent and Epynt.

Two wheel drive historic cars up to 1986 will be eligible, with a vintage class at the front of the field as well as an invitation class for spectacular Group B rally super cars. With plenty of battles anticipated for the class wins, there will be many other awards to play for, including prizes for the youngest competitors and Spirit of the Tour.

Cars and Stars supporting the Rewind Tour Britain launch

Two of the cars that formerly took part – a factory Mercedes 450 SLC displayed by owner Patrick Watts, former BTCC star and multi Historic Rally Champion, and a BMW 3.0s owned by Richard Colburn of Westbourne Racing – were also present at the launch as part of a dynamic demonstration and display. Driving talent was represented by David Brabham, former F1 driver and Le Mans winner, driving Joe Macari’s Goodwood-winning Ferrari 250 GTO SWB, and three-time British Rally Champion Matt Edwards, driving Adrian Kermode’s impressive rally Porsche 911 SC. Quadruple British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington was on hand, whilst 2003 World Rally Champion co-driver Phil Mills (Viking Motorsport) brought his 1974 Roger Clark Welsh Rally Escort to enhance the display. Serial Flying Scotsman winner and record breaker, William Medcalf (Vintage Bentley) also displayed his 1925 SuperSports Bentley on behalf of the Vintage brigade.