Group 3 (motorsport)

The Group 3 racing class referred to a set of regulations for Grand Touring Cars competing in sportscar racing and rallying events regulated by the FIA. These regulations were active, in various forms, from 1957 to 1981.

Shelby Cobra, competing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 1964, was built to Group 3 GT specifications
Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta; built to FIA Group 3 regulations
An Alpine-Renault A110 1300 Gordini rally car, built to Group 3 specifications (1968)
A Ferrari 250 LM sports car, built to Group 3 specifications (1963)

1957 to 1965
A Group 3 Jaguar E-type competing in the 1963 Nurburgring 1000.

Regulations for Grand Touring Car racing were first defined when the FIA issued "Appendix J" for Touring Cars and GT Cars in 1954.[1] The term Group 3 was in use by 1957[2] and by 1960 a minimum production of 100 units [3] in 12 consecutive months was required to allow homologation into Group 3.[4] An FIA GT Cup [5] was instituted in 1960 [3] and the GT category was featuring prominently in most rounds of the World Sports Car Championship.[3] For 1962 the FIA replaced the World Sports Car Championship with an International Championship for GT Manufacturers, the new title being awarded each year through to 1965.[6]

1966 to 1969

The FIA introduced a new Group 3 Grand Touring Car category in 1966 as part of a major revision of the Appendix J regulations.[7]: 613  The production minimum required for Group 3 homologation was raised to 500 units and models such as the Ferrari 250 GTO and Porsche 904 were reclassified to the new Group 4 Sports Car category with its lower 50 unit minimum.[7]: 616  The International Championship for GT Manufacturers was discontinued for 1966 and replaced by the International Championship for Sports Cars.[6] GT cars were eligible to compete with the Group 4 cars in rounds of the International Championship for Sports Cars in 1966 and 1967 and then in the new International Championship for Makes with Group 4 Sports Cars and Group 6 Prototype-Sports Cars in 1968 and 1969. An International Cup for GT Cars was contested concurrently with the Makes Championship from 1968.[8]

1970 to 1981

The creation of a new Group 4 Special Grand Touring Car category in 1970 saw Group 3 renamed as Series Production Grand Touring Cars and the minimum production requirement increased to 1000 units.[9] Group 4, which allowed a greater degree of modification to the competing vehicles, had its minimum production requirement set at 500 units.[9] Both GT categories were eligible to compete in the International Championship for Makes and then, from 1972, in the renamed World Championship of Makes. The International Cup for GT Cars also continued. In 1976 the World Championship of Makes was restricted to production derived cars (FIA Groups 1 to 5) and the International Cup for GT Cars was discontinued in that year.[10]

The Group 3 Series Production Grand Touring Car category remained valid through to 1981[11] with the FIA introducing a new Group B Grand Touring car category the following year.[12]

Rallying

In rallying, there were classes for Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and Group 4 cars. The Lancia Beta Coupé, was homologated into both Group 3 and Group 4, with the Group 3 car running the mass-produced 8-valve engine, and the Group 4 version running the more powerful 16-valve.

Groups 1-9
Categories and Groups of Appendix J 1954 - 1965
Categories 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
I. Touring A. Touring
II. Sports II. Grand Touring B. Grand Touring
- C. Sports
Group 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965
Group 1 Normal series production
Group 2 "Grand Touring" series prod Modified series prod Modified series prod
Group 3 Special series production Grand Touring Cars
Group 4 Series production Normal GT series prod Sports Car
Group 5 International Modified GT series prod -
Group 6 - GT specials -
Source:[13][14]
Categories and Groups of Appendix J 1966 - 1981 (Production requirement)
Categories 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
A. Production
B. Special B. Experimental Competition B. Racing Cars
C. Racing Cars -
Group 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981
Group 1 Series Touring (5000)
Group 2 Touring (1000) Special Touring (1000)
Group 3 Grand Touring (500) Series Grand Touring (1000)
Group 4 Sportscars (50/25) Special Grand Touring (500) Grand Touring (400)
Group 5 Special Touring Cars Sports cars (50) Sports cars Special cars derived from Groups 1-4
Group 6 Prototype sportscars - Two-seater racecars
Group 7 Two-seater racecars International formula
Group 8 Formula racing cars International formula Formula libre racing cars
Group 9 Formula libre racing cars -
Source:[13][14]
Note: Special may be replaced with Competition in some official documents.


See also

References
  1. Technical Regulations for cars competing in historic events, Section 2.1.1 Retrieved from www.fia.com on 24 July 2010
  2. Technical Regulations for cars competing in historic events, Section 2.3.9.3 Retrieved from www.fia.com on 24 July 2010
  3. János J Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999, page 297
  4. FIA Appendix J of 1961, Article 265 Archived 2011-06-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 24 July 2010
  5. János J Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999, page 331
  6. Denis Jenkinson, The Automobile Year Book of Sports Car Racing, 1982, page 222
  7. János J Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999
  8. 1973 FIA Yearbook, Grey section, pages 124-125
  9. M.L. Twite, The World's Racing Cars, 1971, page 99
  10. János L Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999, pages 1039-1043
  11. FIA Appendix J of 1981, Article 251, Classifications of Cars Archived 2011-06-22 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from www.fia.com on 26 July 2010
  12. János L Wimpffen, Time and Two Seats, 1999, page 1363
  13. "Regulations - Period Appendix J | FIA Historic Database". historicdb.fia.com. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  14. "APPENDIX K TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPORTING CODE" (PDF).
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