The 67th British Touring Car Championship kicks off later this month. To get in the mood, we’ve picked out the series’ best cars in a top 10 list, the first version of which appeared on autosport.com in 2020
KEVIN TURNER
10VAUXHALL ASTRA COUPEBTCC WINS 62
The cut-price BTC Touring era tends not to attract the attention and kudos of the exotic Super Tourers that preceded it. The cars were slower and many of the star names had gone, but it’s hard to argue with the Astra Coupe’s record during the period.
The Triple Eight Vauxhall was the class of the field for four seasons, taking 62 wins from 96 races – and that was despite not running at full throttle to help spice things up.
Jason Plato (2001), James Thompson (2002 and 2004) and Yvan Muller (2003) took the drivers’ titles in the car and put on some fine battles, but four other drivers also scored wins in the Astra Coupe. It even launched the tin-top career of future World Touring Car star Andy Priaulx, thanks to a cameo at Oulton Park in 2001.
The Astra was also involved in two of the great BTCC showdowns, in 2001 at Brands Hatch when Plato took the crown after Muller’s car caught fire following an off, and the 2004 Donington Park finale in which Thompson beat Muller thanks to setting fastest lap.
It wasn’t the most spectacular car, but the Astra Coupe got the BTCC through a tough time and helped the championship move onto a better footing in the second half of the decade.
9ROVER SD1BTCC WINS 39 (12 for 3.5 V8, 27 for Vitesse)
The big Rover ended the Group 1 Ford Capri’s reign at the front of the BTCC (or British Saloon Car Championship as it was previously known) and was only made obsolete in Group A by the arrival of the Ford RS500 in 1987.
The Rover became an increasingly potent threat during 1980, with Jeff Allam taking its first win at the British Grand Prix support race. Pete Lovett took his Tom Walkinshaw Racing Rover to the Class A crown the following year, and Allam narrowly defeated Capri rival Vince Woodman to the class laurels in 1982.
The 3.5-litre V8 won every round in 1983, and rising star Steve Soper was crowned champion until being disqualified for his TWR machine running adjustable rockers.
The Rover then won nine of the 11 rounds the following year, when Andy Rouse took hi
