TURNING AROUND THE IMAGE WITH EUROPEAN TIN-TOP SUCCESS
As the 1980s began, the European Touring Car Championship was struggling. Manufacturer interest was low and entries were inconsistent. A hardcore of amateurs had kept the series afloat, but something was needed to breathe life into it.
The governing body FISAhad the answer as it introduced GroupA regulations, with a production run of 5000 four-seater cars needed.
And those four seats were the key to an idea hatched in Kidlington by Tom Walkinshaw. Having won for BMW in the British Saloon Car Championship, having run the BMW County Championship in the UK and being associated with the Bavarian brand, it seemed surprising that TWR would look at taking on BMW, but Walkinshaw had his eyes on taking Jaguar back to Le Mans and the XJ-S was a good starting point.
Jaguar was unconvinced, partly by the unsuccessful efforts of Ralph Broad’s XJ12C in the mid ’70s, and also of Bob Tullius who was trying his best Stateside. Walkinshaw thus had to go it alone, initially at least, as a privateer with Motul
