Group A
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Falcadore
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/* The cars */ ATCC & Bathurst 1000 cars added
In relation to [[motorsport]] governed by the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]], '''Group A''' referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived [[Group B]] and the [[Group C]], the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed technology and overall cost. Group A was aimed at ensuring a large number of privately-owned entries in races.
Group A was introduced by the FIA in [[1982]] to replace the outgoing Group 2 as "''modified touring cars''", while [[Group N]] would replace Group 1 as "''standard touring cars''".
==Homologation==
To qualify for [[homologation]], a minimum of 2500 cars of the competing model had to be built in one year, out of 25,000 for the entire range of the model (eg: 2500 [[Subaru Impreza WRX]], out of 25,000 [[Subaru Impreza]]. Up to [[1991]], the requirement was a minimum of 5000 cars in one year, without regards to the entire range, but the FIA allowed "Evolution" models to be homologated with a minimum of 500 cars (eg: [[BMW M3]] Sport Evo, [[Mercedes-Benz W201]] Evo). Rules also required some of the interior panels to be retained, e.g. interior door panels and dashboard.
However, not all manufacturers who built 500 such models sold them all, some stripped the majority of them to rebuild them as stock models or used them to allow teams to use modified parts. One such example of this was Volvo with the 240 Turbo in 1985. After they had produced 500 such models, Volvo stripped 477 cars of their competition equipment and sold them as standard 240 turbo roadcars. As a result, after [[Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile|FISA's]] failed attempt at finding an "Evolution" car in any European countries, Volvo were forced to reveal the names of all 500 "evo" owners to be permitted to compete. The other example was Ford, after selling off their entire RS500 stocks, they read the rulebooks and found themselves that rather than using either the Sierra Cosworths or the RS500s, they could use the body of the basic 3-door Sierra, which Ford was discontinuing, and use their Evolution equipment on them. Nowadays, these cars are treated as any other model in the range.
==Touring Cars==
For [[touring car]] competition, vehicles such as the [[Ford Sierra|Ford Sierra Cosworth]] and [[Nissan Skyline GT-R]] were provided. In the [[European Touring Car Championship]], Group A consisted of three divisions, Division 3 - for cars over 2500cc, Division 2 - for car engine size that are between 1600-2500cc , Division 1 for cars that are less than 1600cc. These cars competed in standard bodykits, with the production-derived nature required manufactures to release faster vehicles for the roads in order to be competitive on the track. Tyre width were dependent on the car's engine size.
Group A stopped being used in touring car racing in [[1994]], when the German [[Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft]] (DTM) switched to a 2.5 L [[class 1]] formula, while in Japan by that year as the [[Japanese Touring Car Championship]] organisers followed suit and switched classes like most other countries who had adopted the [[British Touring Car Championship]]-derived [[Supertouring]] regulations, many of the redundant Skylines found a new home in the form of the [[JGTC]] (Japanese GT Championship) with modified aerodynamic devices, showing its competitiveness whilst being up against [[Group C]], former race modified roadcars and specially developed racers, like the [[Toyota Supra]]s during the earlier years. For 1993 the [[Confederation of Australian Motor Sport]] replaced Group A (or Group 3A as it was officially known there <ref>CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, 1989, page 227</ref>) with a new formula for Australian Touring Car racing. This was initially open to five litre V8 powered cars and two litre cars (later to become known as [[V8 Supercars]] and [[Super Touring|Super Touring Cars]] respectively). [[Hillclimbing|Hillclimb races]] still use Group A as a Touring Car class across Europe.
==Rallying==
[[Image:Mitsubishi LancerEvoⅥTME Gr.A.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution|Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI]], [[Tommi Mäkinen]] Edition.]]
Under Group A in the [[World Rally Championship]], the cars used were modified road cars, often based on [[turbocharged]], [[four wheel drive]] versions of small cars such as the [[Lancia Delta Integrale]], [[Toyota Celica GT-Four]], [[Nissan Pulsar GTI-R]], [[Subaru Impreza WRX]] and the [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution]]. In order to be homologated, manufacturers were required to produce 5,000 units worldwide, and then in [[1994]] this number was reduced to 2,500. The cars are further modified for greater power and torque, and fitted with suspension and tires specifically suited to the conditions of the specific [[Rallying|rally]], which may take place entirely on asphalt roads, different consistencies of gravel and dirt roads and even snow/ice-covered roads on some rallies held in northern Europe. Group A is still used as the basis for most rally competitions around the world, but the most competitive cars are limited-production prototypes, known as [[World Rally Car]]s and [[Super 1600]]. The last WRC car to use the old Group A homologation requirement was the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI.
== Series that used the Group A formula ==
*[[Australian Touring Car Championship]] 1985-1992
*[[Australian 2.0 Litre Touring Car Championship]] 1986-1987
*[[Australian Endurance Championship]] 1985-1986 & 1990-1992
*[[Australian Manufacturers' Championship]] 1985-1991
*[[British Touring Car Championship]] 1983-1990
*[[Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft]] 1984-1992
*[[European Touring Car Championship]] 1982-1988
*[[All Japan Touring Car Championship]] 1985-1993
*[[World Rally Championship]] 1987-2001
*[[World Touring Car Championship]] 1987
== The cars ==
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* [[Alfa Romeo 33]]
* [[Alfa Romeo 75]]
* [[Alfa Romeo Alfasud]]
* [[Alfa Romeo Alfetta|Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV and GTV/6]]
* [[Audi Coupé|Audi Coupé GT5E]]
* [[Audi 80|Audi 80 GLE]]
* [[Austin Metro]]
* [[BMW E30|BMW 323i]]
* [[BMW E28|BMW 5 series]]
* [[BMW E24|BMW 635 CSi]]
* [[BMW M3#E30 M3|BMW M3 E30]]
* [[Fiat Uno]]
* [[Ford Capri]]
* [[Ford Falcon (Australia)|Ford Falcon XE]]
* [[Ford Escort (Europe)|Ford Escort RS 1600i]]
* [[Ford Escort RS Cosworth]]
* [[Ford Mustang]]
* [[Ford Sierra]] Cosworth and RS500
* [[Merkur XR4Ti|Ford Sierra XR4Ti]] and XR4i
* [[Holden Commodore#VK Commodore|Holden Commodore VK]]
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* [[Holden Commodore#VL Commodore|Holden Commodore VL]]
* [[Holden Commodore#VN Commodore|Holden Commodore VN]]
* [[Isuzu Gemini|Holden Gemini]]
* [[Honda Civic|Honda Civic 3rd gen./EF/EG]]
* [[Jaguar XJS]]
* [[Lancia Delta Integrale]]
* [[Maserati Biturbo]]
* [[Mazda 323|Mazda 323 GTX/GT-R]]
* [[Mazda 929]]
* [[Mazda RX-7#First generation|Mazda RX-7 SA22]]
* [[Mercedes-Benz W201#190E 2.3-16 & 2.5-16|Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16]]
* [[Mitsubishi Galant VR-4]]
* [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution#Mistubishi LAncer|Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution I - VI]]
* [[Mitsubishi Starion]]
* [[Nissan Silvia|Nissan Gazelle]]
* [[Nissan Pulsar#N13 series|Nissan Pulsar EN13]]
* [[Nissan Pulsar GTI-R]]
* [[Nissan Skyline|Nissan Skyline RS-X]]
* [[Nissan Skyline|Nissan Skyline GTS-R]]
* [[Nissan Skyline GT-R|Nissan Skyline GT-R R32]]
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* [[Opel Ascona]]
* [[Opel Monza|Opel Monza 3.0E]]
* [[Rover SD1|Rover SD1 3500/Vitesse]]
* [[Subaru Impreza]]
* [[Subaru Legacy]]
* [[Subaru Vivio]]
* [[Talbot Sunbeam|Talbot Sunbeam TI]]
* [[Toyota Supra|Toyota Celica Supra]]
* [[Toyota Celica|Toyota Celica ST162]]
* [[Toyota Celica GT-Four|Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165, ST185, ST205]]
* [[Toyota Corolla|Toyota Corolla FX AE82]]
* [[Toyota AE86|Toyota Corolla Levin AE86]]
* Toyota Corolla Levin AE92
* Toyota Corolla Levin AE101
* [[Toyota Supra Turbo-A|Toyota Supra]] and Turbo-A
* [[Vauxhall Astra|Vauxhall Astra GTE]]/[[Opel Kadett|Opel Kadett GSi]]
* [[Volvo 240|Volvo 240 turbo]]
* [[Volvo 360]]
* [[Volkswagen Golf]] GTI
* [[Volkswagen Scirocco]]
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==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong/Pages/part5.html Frank de Jong's Group A ETCC section]
[[Category:FIA]]
[[Category:Rally cars|*Group A]]
[[Category:Touring car racing]]
[[Category:World Rally Championship]]
[[Category:Rally racing terminology]]
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