With Power&Glory v3, the 1970's come alive.
During the 1970's seasons, different technologies and rule changes would provoke different trends and developments in all current and future racecars. These would benefit some aspects of racing but would have a negative impact on others.
Some major changes in road racing happened at the beginning of the 1970's, mostly by the hands of the FIA with new classifications. In racing, technology keeps evolving, and rules keep changing. Usually for the better, sometimes for the worst...
For Power&Glory v3, we are mainly focusing on 1970's FIA Group 2 and Group 4, until 1976.
...you'll probably be asking yourself now "Why only two classes?" and "Why only untill 1976?"...
Well, to answer that, it's important to know what happened during the 1970's with racing, with changes coming from within the sport itself, and also influenced by external events such as the worldwide oil crisis.
...keep reading, you'll understand...
1970'S FIA CLASSES
THE END OF ONE ERA AND THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER
From 1970, until 1976, the relevant FIA classifications were changed and became as follows:
- Group 1: series-production touring cars (5,000 production units)
- Group 2: touring cars (1,000 production units)
- Group 3: series-production grand touring cars (1,000 production units)
- Group 4: special grand touring cars (500 production units)
- Group 5: sports cars (25 production units) + prototype-sports cars -3L (in 1972)
FIA GROUP 2:
The Group 2 designation was now applied by the FIA to production based Touring Cars, and characterized as a mixture of the old 60's Group 2 and Group 5 rules. Still, 1000 cars had to be produced, but these could be modified quite freely.
This class became extremely popular among both fans and manufacturers, right from the early 1970s, mainly because of the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC).
Also, on the other side of the pond, the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA) Trans-American Sedan Championship (aka "Trans Am") was contested by Group 2 Touring Cars untill 1972.
Group 2 was again the premier category for Touring Cars, and contested by production based cars such as the Ford Capri and BMW CSL, among many others. It would last until 1982, when it was replaced by the Group A class.
A common FIA Group 2 scene in 1971 - the works RS 2600 Capris, attempting to escape various Ford Escort RS1600s and a BMW 2002. The Alfa Romeo GTAm may not appear in this picture but it was usually included in the mix.
The top dogs in 1974 and 1975 Group 2 - the BMW 3.5 CSL and the Ford Capri RS 3100. These cars were so fast that they could easily match, if not surpass, the Group 4 top contenders, such as the Porsche 911 RSR 3.0
FIA GROUP 4:
The Group 4 designation was now applied to a new Special Grand Touring category, contested by production based cars, similar to the old 60's Group 3 rules. Its minimum production requirement was set at 500 units, but a great degree of modification was allowed.
The new Group 4 was the premier category for Grand Touring Cars, and the central focus of "special" car brands such as Porsche and DeTomaso, respectively through the production based Porsche 911 Carrera RS and the DeTomaso Pantera, amongst other cars and manufacturers. It would last until 1982, when it was replaced by the Group B class.
A typical 1972 Group 4 battle for the lead. Here, the DeTomaso Pantera of Team Claude Dubois fighting two Porsches 911 ST 2.5s, of Team Strahle KG and Team Kremer, respectively.
The Porsche 911 RSR 3.0 dominated the world GT scene (Group 4) from 1973 to 1975. The picture shows a common image of the 1974 European GT championship.
”...SO WHERE ARE THE SPORTSCARS / PROTOTYPES?!?”
In contrast, the once popular 60's Group 4 (Sports Cars) and Group 6 (Prototype Sports Cars) would suffer a major blow, with less appeal for manufacturers and a subsequent lack of popularity amongst the fans, all because of changes in the FIA rules during the 1970's decade...
It first starts in 1970, when the FIA picked the old 60's Group 4 (Sports Cars) and changed it into the new Group 5, maintaining the requirement of a minimum of 25 production units. Then in 1972, just two years later, the Group 5 designation is applied for the old Group 6 (Prototype Sports Cars category). Although there was no minimum production number required, it was decided to place an engine capacity limitation to a mere 3 liters.
...the manufacturers were becoming less and less happy...
As a result of these changes, Sports Car racing suffered a near death right from the early 1970's, and would only recover in the next decade, with the advent of Group C in 1982. Meanwhile, FIA Groups 2 and 4 were succeeding, and showing remarkable efforts in racecar developments.
FIA Group 2 and Group 4 ran together many times. The top places for overall results were fiercely disputed by the best teams of both Groups.
There were also strong American representatives in both Group 2 and Group 4, not just European ones.
Here, the Ford Mustang Boss 302 of Frank Gardner (Group 2, 1970) and the Chevrolet Corvette C3 ZL1 of Team Greenwood (Group 4, 1972).
”...AND WHY JUST UNTIL 1976?!?”
The final nail in the coffin would happen in 1976, when the Group 5 designation would be changed all over again, this time for "Special Production Cars", where any eligible racecar of the other FIA Groups could be converted within the new “Silhouette” rules.
...enter the era of over-exaggerated body styles and mudguard extensions, heavy dependance on aerodynamics and turbo technology, all in the most “hysterical” aproach (hey, these were the 70's after all!).
The advent of this new Group 5 of 1976 not only "killed" the (already half-dead) Sports Cars and Prototypes class, but it also affected the Group 2 and Group 4 classes, by stealing the focus of some manufacturers, teams and drivers that were involved in those other FIA Groups. To make things worse, this new Group 5 championship turned out to be a disappointment. The global oil crisis was at its peak, and the FIA would also put new restrictions in the way the Group 2 cars could be changed.
Some manufacturers would just stop their (direct and indirect) factory support, or simply quit racing.
The 1976-1981 period would be known as “the dull years”. There were new arguments, technology and rules but, most of all, more difficulties in racing. It was, to some extent, the real end of the "golden era", what many consider the turning point for “too much Power, not enough Glory”.
A big “Thank You” to Paul Kooyman, Frank de Jong, Cor van Veen,
Hartmut Schulz and David Lawson.
Most of the pictures presented here are theirs, and shown with
their kind permission.
Many more can be seen at http://homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong/
