At Classic Nostalgia weekend this July, Prodrive’s 40th anniversary will be celebrated. Founded in 1984, Prodrive created some of the most iconic race and rally cars in history. Enthusiasts will witness a selection of these vehicles in action at Shelsley Walsh.
Prodrive became synonymous with Subaru in the 1990s and early 2000s. Colin McRae’s victory in the 1995 RAC Rally earned him Britain’s first World Rally Champion title and secured Subaru the first of three consecutive manufacturers’ titles. Prodrive later propelled Richard Burns and Petter Solberg to the drivers’ championship.
Prodrive has created the P25, the ultimate Impreza road car, to celebrate 25 years since the introduction of the Impreza WRC97 rally car. Only 25 examples were built, each with an original two-door Impreza WRX chassis and a weight under 1200kg. The 2.5-litre engine produces over 400bhp after being re-engineered by Prodrive. Top Gear called it a “stunning labour of love”, and it will be featured at Classic Nostalgia.
Prodrive, a motorsport and engineering company, will celebrate its successful partnerships with Subaru and other manufacturers at Classic Nostalgia, Shelsley Walsh. Prodrive won its first event in 1984, the Qatar International Rally, with a Porsche 911 SC RS. The same car was driven by Henri Toivonen in European Rally Championship. The iconic Rothmans-liveried 911 will feature in the hill climb event at Classic Nostalgia.
Mini Cooper WRC car, campaigned by Prodrive in 2011, will join Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb event. Turbocharged engine developed by BMW Motorsport for use in competitive disciplines. Prodrive will also showcase a 1990 BMW E30 M3, same model that won the 1987 Tour de Corse- their first win at WRC level.
Prodrive entered circuit racing in 1987 by managing BMW’s participation in the British Touring Car Championship. Frank Sytner won the BTCC championship in 1988. Prodrive continued to run manufacturer programmes in the series throughout the 1990s before shifting to re-engineering sports cars. They achieved their first class win in the Le Mans 24 Hours with the Ferrari 550 Maranello. Prodrive partnered with Aston Martin and won the FIA World Endurance Championship GT Teams’ and Drivers’ titles.
David Richards, Prodrive founder and chairman, said: “We’re very excited to be celebrating this milestone anniversary at Classic Nostalgia. Few motorsport venues are as atmospheric as Shelsley Walsh, and best of all is the fact that it will allow enthusiasts to really get close to these amazing cars. I’m incredibly proud of Prodrive’s continuing success in everything from rallying to sports cars, and being able to share that during the Classic Nostalgia weekend will be very special.”
Prodrive cars will be demonstrated by a team including David Lapworth and Paul Howarth. Rally fans will enjoy Group A, Group B, and WRC cars in competition. Ralli 22 will showcase cars from Group B to WRC and pay tribute to founder Steve Davies.
Exciting things at the Classic Nostalgia event include the Hesketh 308 F1 car, NASCAR vehicles, hill-climb competition, Classic & Sports Car Concours, art gallery, live bands, and main-stage interviews. It’s a popular event on the historic motorsport calendar and the upcoming weekend is sure to be fantastic.
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