Homologation Specials

Graham Robson looks at 14 cars which defined the term homologation special.

Ithink that I can claim to have invented the description of homologation special for certain types of car in the 1960s. Those were the days when the FIA, which controlled motorsport world-wide, imposed a series of regulations that defined which production cars were authorised to compete in which categories. One of those regulations was the stipulation that a company had to produce a minimum number of each type, and to sell them as road- going vehicles to qualify.

So, if you ever wondered why BMC made cars like the Mini- Cooper 970S, Ford made the Escort RS1800, Rootes the Hillman Imp Rallye and Vauxhall the Chevette HS and HSR, look no further. Sometimes – and I’m now going to mention other cars like the Triumph TR7 V8, the Talbot Sunbeam- Lotus and the Ford Capri RS3100 – such cars made sober-suited, latte- drinking marketing chiefs and company accountants sob into their spreadsheets. That’s because in many cases the homologation specials were never intended to be profitable projects, or to be produced for lengthy periods, but were intended to be race or rallycompetitive. In most cases they would be based on more humble quantity-production models, but invariably they would have high-performance engines, and often they were lighter and more specialised. That’s why, for example, a

Ford Escort 1100 of the late 1970s had just 41bhp while an RS1800 had 115bhp, or the entry-level Chrysler/ Talbot Sunbeam had 42bhp from its 928cc while the SunbeamLotus had 150bhp and 2174cc.

Over the years the reputation of some of these homologation specials has grown, while others have withered and are neglected. Here are my own thoughts on a selection of the most affordable of them.