The Avon Tour of Britain, held from 1973 to 1976, saw celebrities and professional drivers from various disciplines tackle race circuits, rally stages and hillclimbs in production-based cars. The event gained a cult following and, aside from a one-off revival in 1989, remained dormant for decades – until now.
Octane attended the launch of Rewind Tour Britain at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire – an ambitious addition to the historic motorsport calendar that will recapture the spirit of the ‘70s events, which saw the likes of James Hunt, Graham Hill, Tony Pond and even Noel Edmonds compete for bragging rights.
Organised by Motor Racing Legends (MRL) and the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC), the inaugural Rewind Tour Britain is set for 27-30 May 2027. The launch, attended by leading figures from the historic motorsport and classic car community, unveiled an ambitious 460-mile route through England and Wales. Competitors will tackle 12 tarmac rally stages and four circuit races, covering around 30 stage miles and 32 race laps. Professional pace notes will be provided for the rally stages alongside a route book for liaison sections on public roads.
The organisers were keen to emphasise that the road route predominantly comprises scenic B-roads rather than motorways, with stops at some of the country’s most iconic motorsport venues, including three locations from the original Tour of Britain series: Thruxton, Castle Combe and the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb.
Special stages will take place across private estates and military ranges such as Caerwent and Epynt in Wales. The event’s jewel in the crown is said to be the special stage at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, where cars will run on the estate roads before arriving directly in front of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, crews will take part in autograph sessions for the public.
‘Rewind Tour Britain celebrates everything that made the original event so special,’ said MRL chairman and 24 Hours of Le Mans veteran Shaun Lynn, speaking via video link from Dubai at the launch. ‘We want this to be a new historic motorsport adventure and a flagship event of the MRL calendar. It’s not a parade and it’s not a re-enactment. It’s a serious test that asks drivers to adapt, think and perform across everything motor sport can throw at them throughout some truly spectacular venues across the country.’
A display of historic machines at the launch served as both a link to the past and an indication of the organisers’ flagship ambitions. Among them were a Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC owned by ex-BTCC racer Patrick Watts and a BMW 3.0S brought by Westbourne Racing’s Richard Colburn, both of which competed in the original Tour of Britain.
Even more spectacular was Joe Macari’s Ferrari 250 GTO SWB, driven at the launch by former F1 driver David Brabham, alongside Adrian Kermode’s Porsche 911 SC, piloted by British Rally Champion Matt Edwards.
Also present was legendary WRC co-driver Nicky Grist, four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington, WRC co-driver Phil Mills – who brought his 1974 Roger Clark Welsh Rally Escort – and Vintage Bentley’s William Medcalf, who displayed his 1925 SuperSports Bentley.
These names – and the small but eclectic historic car display – hinted at the calibre of the 80-car field that is being aimed for. The plan is for a field of up to 80 production-based road and rally cars built up to 1986 to FIA Appendix J and K regulations running on street legal tyres.
‘The regulations are still very general at this stage,’ said former F1 pundit and rally driver Tony Jardine at the launch. ‘I want to emphasise that the final regulations will be developed with the historic class bodies to produce a definitive framework. But at this stage, the outline is essentially for two-wheel drive production-based cars built up to 1986.’
Organisers also confirmed they are exploring ways to refine the regulations to reward performance across the field, considering measures such as an index of performance to achieve the best possible balance.
‘What we have launched today is genuinely different’ said BARC CEO Ben Taylor. ‘Bringing racing and rallying together in one event is ambitious, but that’s exactly why it matters. Our home at Thruxton was the right place to announce it, and the response today shows there is real appetite for something that challenges convention while maintaining a strong connection to the past.’
Entry to the 2027 Rewind Tour Britain costs £5950. For more information, click here.
