When the new Australian touring car direction was up for debate 30 years ago there were a variety of options for the future led by what the internationals had already done and even a combination of the two.
In Britain, Australian ex-pat Alan Gow introduced a two-litre formula ending the British Touring Car Championship’s multi-class format, while the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterchaft elected to lead German racing into a 2.5-litre formula.
CAMS alongside category stakeholders decided in 1992 to devise the Group 3A formula based on based on the VN Holden Commodore, which debuted the previous season. Here in Australia, the Group 3A formula transformed into V8 Supercars in 1997 before the arrival of Project Blueprint, Car of The Future, Gen2 and now Gen3, but the blueprints of Group 3A remain throughout.
As fans know the story of the Australian formula, the Repco Garage will recount the history of the international options prevented.
First of all, the British Touring Car Championship was a Ford Sierra benefit by the 1989 season as it ran to a four class structure, which favoured the small capacity entries. Case in point was John Cleland winning the title in his Class C Vauxhall Astra.
The transition to a one-class two-litre formula began in 1990 as BMW and Vauxhall led the charge, while Ford continued to lead the outright race. Momentum for the regulations built up as Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, Nissan and Peugeot joined in 1991, before it rose dramatically to be the leading touring car formula in that part of the world.
Of course, the BTCC hosted during this time the Volvo 850 Estate, launched Paul Radisich’s career and the introduction of wings in 1995 as ‘Super Touring’ expanded worldwide.
During the late-1990s the expensive was becoming too much and manufacturers began to take a step back leaving just three by 2000 as a new set of regulations came the following year coined BTC-T.
As for Germany’s 2.5-litre formula named FIA Class 1, it rose to lofty heights quickly and burnt out just as quick. Starting in 1993, Class 1 was devised for non-turbocharged entries featuring ABS, four-wheel-drive, electronic aids and carbon fibre.
Opel, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo adopted the set of regulations although BMW was joined by Audi on the sidelines electing to develop models for Super Touring.
The Group 1 models were heavily modified and barely resembled the road-going equivalent, but proved spectacular as drivers such as Giancarlo Fisichella went on to enjoy a career in Formula 1.
In 1996 ambitious plans to take the category overseas by transforming the DTM into the FIA International Touring Car Series, but this proved messy as costs were increased in terms of television coverage, tickets and accessibility to drivers was reduced.
This led to the category dying as Alfa Romeo and Opel pulled out leaving only Mercedes-Benz as the sole manufacturer.
Of course, the DTM was born again in 2000 and has just transitioned to GT3 regulations.