Rewind Tour Britain: first entries accepted, places still open
The first Rewind Tour Britain is taking shape. Motor Racing Legends (MRL) and the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC), who are organising it together, have confirmed the first accepted cars, which already make up just over half of the 80-car field we expect.
What is Rewind Tour Britain?
A four-day adventure for historic cars, inspired by the Tour of Britain of the 1970s. That event was won by Roger Clark, Graham Hill and James Hunt, among others. The 1973 Tour of Britain began on 6 July, and Rewind Tour Britain was announced on the same date this year (2026).
The idea is simple. Racing drivers and rally drivers take on the same route, mixing circuit racing, rally stages, hill climbs and road sections. Crews follow a road book and official pace notes between venues, and their results across every discipline decide one overall winner. It poses a question that motorsport fans have argued about for years: can circuit racers master the stages, and will rally drivers triumph on the circuits?
The route
The route covers about 540 miles over four days, split into four legs. With around 48 miles of special stages and 60 miles of racing.
- Thursday 27 May. Opening races at Thruxton Circuit.
- Friday 28 May. Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site and the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, with paved roads and gravel tracks that have hosted RAC Rally stages. Then on to Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
- Saturday 29 May. The hill climbs at Prescott and Shelsley Walsh, then two stages on military land, Epynt Ranges and Caerwent. Shelsley Walsh is the oldest motorsport venue in the world still on its original course, first used in 1905. Caerwent is a former military base where crews get no chance to recce the stage.
- Sunday 30 May. A stop at Celtic Manor, then racing at Castle Combe and the final stages at Bowood Estate in Wiltshire.
Bowood will also host a garden party and prize-giving to close the event.
Which cars can enter?
Two-wheel-drive historic cars built up to 1986 are eligible. That includes a dedicated class for vintage race cars, and pre-war sports cars are welcome as long as they are road-registered. A demonstration category lets cars of special interest that fall outside the regulations complete the same route. Every entry is reviewed by a selection committee. Prizes include class awards, awards for the youngest competitors and a Spirit of the Tour award.
Not sure if your car qualifies? The list of eligible cars is not exhaustive, so check the event page or read the full regulations (PDF).
The first selection
Current accepted entries come from 15 manufacturers and cover 33 models built between 1924 and 1987. Cars to look out for:
- 1930 Bentley Blower. Stuart Morley is the fourth generation of his family to race Bentleys, and he helped with Bentley’s recent programme to build twelve exact recreations of the model.
- 1950 Aston Martin DB2 “VMF 65”. A works car built for Le Mans in 1950 that never reached the start line after a road accident on the way. Jonathan Lupton shares the drive with Darren Turner, who won his class at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008.
- 1972 Vauxhall Firenza Magnum 2300 “TJE 535K”. Built by Dealer Team Vauxhall and still in its silver, green and red livery. It will take on the Ford Escorts, as it did in the 1976 Tour of Britain.
- 1975 Lancia Stratos HF. Seb Perez, winner of the 2024 Mallorca Rally, drives it. Its Ferrari V6 revs to 10,500rpm.
- 1987 MG Maestro 2.0 EFI “D200 ERW”. It finished the 1987 RAC Rally and has just had a six-year restoration.
MRL chief executive Pierre-Antoine Lecoutour says the aim is “a great mix of pre-1986 cars” from pre-war machinery to Group A. Of the Bowood finish, Tony Jardine says the estate will add “its own touch of class”.
How to enter
Places are limited, and every entry is reviewed by a selection committee, so entering does not guarantee a place. Enter, or register your interest, through Motor Racing Legends. The final entry list will be published in January. Details for spectators will follow.