POWERTRAIN


Rising car values and the opportunity to take part in prestigious events is fuelling a boom in historic motorsport. Forward-thinking engineers are now helping to make those cars perform better than ever, as Nick Fleurot explains


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ince the start of historic motorsport, the focus has been on the amateur racer but in recent years fixtures


such as Goodwood Revival and Le Mans Classic have become must- attend events for car owners. As well as the prestige of taking part, success at such meetings adds to the provenance and value of the cars, leading to the sector investing in the latest technologies, materials and knowledge to succeed. That is now filtering down into club historic meetings where owners not only want to do well but also ensure that their car is reliable. Today’s historic racers are faster


than they ever were, even though now, in the main, they are driven by amateurs. A review by Motor Sport highlighted that today’s cars are around two to three seconds faster than when they were driven by the stars of the period. How is modern engineering contributing to these substantial gains? A trip to CNC AWS Engineering


in the Cotswolds provides a glimpse of the diversity of cars in historic racing. Alongside a Jaguar D Type and a 1980s F1 Fittipaldi, the workshop is packed with touring cars from the 1980s and 1990s. With 40-somethings now reminiscing of


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