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The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World Touring Car Championship, and a single-race European Touring Car Cup has been held since then.

ETCC 1963-1988[]

The European Touring Car Challenge, as it was originally known,[1] was started in 1963 by Willy Stenger, who created the series at the behest of the FIA. Cars competed under FIA Group 2[1] Improved Touring Car regulations[2] which allowed a variety of touring cars of different sizes and engine displacements to race together, from the small Fiat 600 and Mini to the large Jaguar Mark 2 and Mercedes-Benz 300SE

In 1963 races and hillclimbing events at Nürburgring, Mont Ventoux, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Zolder, Zandvoort, Timmelsjoch and even in the Népliget (People's Park) in Budapest counted towards the ETCC, which was won by German Peter Nöcker and his Jaguar.

In 1968, the regulations were changed to allow Group 5 cars to participate,[3] however these highly modified Special Touring Cars[4] would only be eligible for two years. In 1970 the series name was changed from European Touring Car Challenge to European Touring Car Championship.[5] Group 2 again became the principle category [6] although Group 2 regulations were now much more liberal in nature than the old Group 2.[7]

Following the 1973 oil crisis the next two seasons had few entrants. It was only in 1977 that the situation was normalised with the return of factory teams. Rules allowed Group 2 and Group 1B "National" cars to compete together, with BMW 3.0 Coupé CSL and Capri RS remaining the most competitive entries.

In 1982, the FIA replaced Groups 1 and 2 with Group N and Group A. The first one was mainly ignored by the ETCC entrants, all cars going the Group A route. BMW and Alfa Romeo prepared regular touring cars for the championship, but it was the big-engined Tom Walkinshaw Racing prepared Jaguar XJS and Rover 3500 Vitesse that would be more competitive in the years to come, fighting against the turbocharged Volvo 240 and Ford Sierra Cosworth.

The championship was cancelled after the end of the 1988 season, due to escalating costs (a one-off World Touring Car Championship in 1987 also exarcebated the problem). By then, the FIA had allowed "Evolution" models to be homologated, and it was special cars such as the BMW M3 Evo and Ford Sierra RS500 that dominated the grids.

The Macau Grand Prix's Guia Race, the Spa 24 Hours and the 24 Hours Nürburgring were the only international touring car races during those years. With the success and popularity of Supertouring in many national championships, the FIA organised the one-round Super Touring World Cup for these cars, between 1993 and 1995. In 1996, the FIA promoted the DTM, which already had races outside Germany in its calendar, to International Touringcar Championship (ITC), but once more escalating costs ended the series after two seasons.

ETCC 2000-2004[]

In 2000, the Italian Superturismo Championship was promoted to the European Super Touring Cup. In 2001, this series became the FIA European Super Touring Championship, with an extra class for Super Production cars alongside the main Super Touring class. In 2002, this evolved into the brand new FIA European Touring Car Championship, using Super 2000 rules, dominated by Alfa Romeo and BMW, but popular with the public due to the intense competition and Eurosport live broadcasts. In 2005, the ETCC was promoted to World Touring Car Championship (WTCC).

ETCC 2005 onwards[]

Main article: European Touring Car Cup

The European Touring Car title was given from 2005 until 2009 to a once a year European Touring Car Cup, with the best representatives from national championships running to Super 2000, Super Production and Super 1600 regulations in the Baltic States, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Starting in 2010 the ETCC will once again become a multi event racing series. Four events of two races each are set to be held in Portugal, Italy, Austria and Germany at respectively the Circuito Vasco Sameiro in Braga, the Autodromo Bonara in Franciacorta, the Salzburgring in Salzburg and the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Oschersleben. However, on 25 Mar 2010, fiawtcc.com reported that the event in Germany was cancelled to avoid clashes with the German touring car series.[8]

Champions[]

ETCC (1963-1988)[]

Year Drivers Manufacturers
1963 25px Germany Peter Nöcker (Jaguar Mk II) -
1964 25px Great Britain Warwick Banks (BMC Mini Cooper S) -
1965 Div.3 25px Belgium Jacky Ickx (Ford Mustang)
Div.2 25px Great Britain John Whitmore (Ford Lotus Cortina)
Div.1 25px Netherlands Ed Swart (Abarth 1000 TC)
Div.3 Ford
Div.2 Ford
Div.1 Abarth
1966 Div.3 25px Germany Hubert Hahne (BMW 2000TI)
Div.2 25px Italy Andrea de Adamich (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA)
Div.1 25px Italy Giancarlo Baghetti (Abarth 1000 TC)
Div.3 BMW
Div.2 Alfa Romeo
Div.1 Abarth
1967 Div.3 25px Germany Karl von Wendt (Porsche 911)
Div.2 25px Italy Andrea de Adamich (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA)
Div.1 25px Germany Willi Kauhsen (Abarth 1000 TC)
Div.3 Porsche
Div.2 Alfa Romeo
Div.1 Abarth
1968 Div.3 25px Austria Dieter Quester (BMW 2002)
Div.2 25px Great Britain John Rhodes (Morris Mini Cooper S)
Div.1 25px Great Britain John Handley (Morris Mini Cooper S)
Div.3 BMW
Div.2 BMC
Div.1 BMC
1969 Div.3 25px Austria Dieter Quester (BMW 2002)
Div.2 25px Italy Spartaco Dini (Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA)
Div.1 25px Italy Marsilio Pasotti (Abarth 1000 TC)
Div.3 BMW
Div.2 Alfa Romeo
Div.1 Abarth
1970 25px Netherlands Toine Hezemans (Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm) BMW
1971 25px Germany Dieter Glemser (Ford Capri RS2600) Alfa Romeo
1972 25px Germany Jochen Mass (Ford Capri RS2600) Alfa Romeo
1973 25px Netherlands Toine Hezemans (BMW 3.0 CSL) BMW
1974 25px Germany Hans Heyer (Ford Escort RS1600) Ford
1975 25px Germany Siegfried Müller Sr. (BMW 3.0 CSL)
25px Belgium Alain Peltier (BMW 3.0 CSL)
Div.2: BMW
Div.1: Ford
1976 25px Belgium Jean Xhenceval (BMW 3.0 CSL)
25px Belgium Pierre Dieudonné (BMW 3.0 CSL)
Div.4: BMW
Div.3: Opel
Div.2: Alfa Romeo
Div.1: Alfa Romeo
1977 25px Austria Dieter Quester (BMW 3.0 CSL) Div.5: BMW
Div.4: BMW
Div.3: Alfa Romeo
Div.2: Volkswagen
Div.1: Alfa Romeo
1978 25px Italy Umberto Grano (BMW 3.0 CSL) BMW
1979 25px Italy Martino Finotto (BMW 3.0 CSL)
25px Italy Carlo Facetti (BMW 3.0 CSL)
BMW
1980 25px Germany Helmut Kelleners (BMW 320)
25px Germany Siegfried Müller Jr. (BMW 320)
Audi
1981 25px Italy Umberto Grano (BMW 635CSi)
25px Germany Helmut Kelleners (BMW 635CSi)
Škoda
1982 25px Italy Umberto Grano (BMW 528i) Alfa Romeo
1983 25px Austria Dieter Quester (BMW 635CSi) Alfa Romeo
1984 25px Great Britain Tom Walkinshaw (Jaguar XJS) Alfa Romeo
1985 25px Italy Gianfranco Brancatelli (Volvo 240 Turbo)
25px Sweden Thomas Lindström (Volvo 240 Turbo)
Alfa Romeo
1986 25px Italy Roberto Ravaglia (BMW 635CSi) Toyota
1987 25px Germany Winfried Vogt (BMW M3) BMW
1988 25px Italy Roberto Ravaglia (BMW M3) Ford

ETCC (2000-2004)[]

Year Championship Independents class (Michelin Trophy) Series name
Drivers Manufacturers Drivers Teams
2000 25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi (Alfa Romeo 156 D2) 25px Italy Alfa Romeo N/A N/A European Super Touring Cup
2001 25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi (Supertouring)(Alfa Romeo 156 D2)
25px Netherlands Peter Kox (Super Production) (BMW 320i)
25px Italy Alfa Romeo 25px Italy Sandro Sardelli (Nissan Primera Mk3 GT) (Supertouring Amateur)
25px Germany Norman Simon (BMW 320i) (Super Production Under 25)
N/A FIA European Super Touring Championship
2002 25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi (Alfa Romeo 156 GTA) 25px Italy Alfa Romeo 25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi N/A FIA European Touring Car Championship
2003 25px Italy Gabriele Tarquini (Alfa Romeo 156 GTA) 25px Germany BMW 25px Netherlands Duncan Huisman (BMW 320i) Alfa Romeo Autodelta FIA European Touring Car Championship
2004 25px Great Britain Andy Priaulx (BMW 320i) 25px Germany BMW 25px Netherlands Tom Coronel (BMW 320i) AutoDelta Squadra Corse FIA European Touring Car Championship

Event Winners[]

European Super Touring Cup[]

Drivers
Driver Total
1 25px Italy Roberto Colciago ||5
25px Italy Gianni Morbidelli ||5
25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi ||5
25px Netherlands Peter Kox ||5

Manufacturers
Constructor Total
1 25px Germany Audi ||5
25px Germany BMW ||5
25px Italy Alfa Romeo ||5
25px Japan Honda ||5

Cars
Car Total
1 Audi A4 Quattro 5
BMW 320i 5
Alfa Romeo 156 D2 5
Honda Accord 5

European Super Touring Championship[]

Drivers
Driver Total
1 25px Italy Gabriele Tarquini ||9
2 25px Italy Nicola Larini ||3
25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi ||3
4 25px Italy Roberto Colciago ||2
5 25px United Kingdom Matt Neal ||1
25px France Yvan Muller ||1
25px France Fabrice Walfisch ||1

Manufacturers
Constructor Total
1 25px Japan Honda ||10
2 25px Italy Alfa Romeo ||7
3 25px Germany Audi ||2
4 25px Japan Nissan ||1

Cars>
Car Total
1 Honda Accord 10
2 Alfa Romeo 156 D2 7
3 Audi A4 Quattro 2
4 Nissan Primera GT 1

European Touring Car Championship[]

Drivers
Driver Total
1 25px Italy Gabriele Tarquini ||12
25px Germany Jörg Müller ||12
3 25px Italy Fabrizio Giovanardi ||10
4 25px United Kingdom Andy Priaulx ||8
25px Germany Dirk Müller ||8
6 25px Italy Nicola Larini ||5
7 25px United Kingdom James Thompson ||2
25px Italy Roberto Colciago ||2
9 25px Sweden Rickard Rydell ||1

Manufacturers
Constructor Total
1 25px Italy Alfa Romeo ||31
2 25px Germany BMW ||28
3 25px Spain SEAT ||1

Cars>
Car Total
1 BMW 320i 28
2 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA 23
3 Alfa Romeo 156 8
4 SEAT Toledo Cupra 1

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Part 1: 1963-1967 The early years Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
  2. 1965 FIA Appendix J - Art. 252 - Categories & Groups of Vehicles Retrieved from www.fia.com on 10 August 2009
  3. Part 2: 1968-1969 Group 5 years Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
  4. 1969 FIA Appendix J - Art. 251 - Categories & groups Retrieved from www.fia.com on 10 August 2009
  5. ETCC race results & images – 1967 to 1988 Retrieved from www.racingsportscars.com on 10 August 2009] Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
  6. Results of Round 1, 1970 ETCC - Ruleset: Group 2/70 Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
  7. Part 3: 1970-1975 The Ford and BMW years Retrieved from homepage.mac.com/frank_de_jong on 10 August 2009
  8. THE FIA ETCC STARTS IN BRAGA THIS WEEKEND Retrieved from fiawtcc.com on 27 March 2010

External links[]

Template:European Touring Car years

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