Historic Motorsport

Located in Hall 18 the Historic Motorsport Area at Autosport International celebrates the cars and stars of yesteryear and features the leading names in historic motorsport, including historic event organisers, preparation and bespoke restoration companies, historic car clubs, auto-jumbleand retailers of memorabilia, as well as historic motorsport artwork, clothing and accessories.

This area includes an auction of vintage, race and road cars organized by COYS, which over the years has proved immensely popular with visitors and aficionados of historic motorsport.

This years Historic Motorsport Area had everything from two 1950s cars, to the latest Dallara F3 coming from the factory. Of the associations there was the car that used to be raced by Derek Warwick and the one formerly raced by Takumo Sato.

AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATES MOTORSPORT HISTORY

Autosport International, the world’s greatest motorsport show, travelled back in time to the golden age of motorsport on 12-15 January 2012 and brought the best in historic motorsport to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC).

In addition to stars and cars from the contemporary racing scene, Autosport International 2012 featured an Historic Motorsport Hall dedicated to the finest machinery from yesteryear.

Classic Team Lotus celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Lotus Elan in 2012 by exhibiting a 26R. The marque also paid tribute to one of its most famous drivers, Ayrton Senna, by displaying the Lotus 97T Formula One car: the car which the Brazilian to his first Grand Prix win in 1985. In addition, Lotus Cars founder Colin Chapman’s personal 1970 Lotus 11 was present on the stand, having recently been refurbished.

Among the other exhibitors is the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC). The organisation showcased the illustrious history of Formula 3, a series famed for launching the international careers of countless Grand Prix stars, with a displayof vehicles from the past 60 years. This was a unique opportunity to view first generation race cars alongside the latest Dallara model direct from the factory, plus machinery piloted by former F1 racers Derek Warwick and Takuma Sato.

Sportscar enthusiasts could take a close look at some iconic Le Mans machinery courtesy of Group C Racing, the support series for the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours. The Peugeot 905, double winner of the famous endurance race in 1992-93, was on show ahead of its Group C debut at La Sarthe circuit in 2012, while Group C also showcased the two-time Le Mans and World Sportscar Championship winning Porsche 962.

In addition to a stunning display of machinery, Autosport International’s Historic Motorsport Hall offered racing fans and drivers alike the opportunity to find out more about the world of classic motorsport. The Silverstone Classic, the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival, was selling tickets to its 2012 event, while retro race overalls and leisure wear was also on sale.

“Historic racing is a vibrant part of motorsport,and its presence at the show strengthens each year,” commented Autosport International Show Director Ian France. “This is a fantastic opportunity to understand the culture of classic racing, with all aspects of the sport covered.”