The historic motorsport season traditionally begins not with the crack of a starter’s pistol, but with the bark of a BDA on the rally stage at Race Retro. The 2026 edition of the Warwickshire stalwart once again delivered a compelling blend of heritage, horsepower and hands-on enthusiasm, reaffirming its status as the UK’s definitive pre-season gathering for competitors and aficionados alike.
Staged at Stoneleigh Park, the event struck a confident balance between spectacle and substance. The cavernous exhibition halls housed an impressively broad cross-section of machinery — from pre-war competition cars to modern historic rally weapons — while outside, the ever-popular Live Rally Stage ensured this was far more than a static display of polished nostalgia.
If Race Retro has a signature, it is surely the rally stage. Across the weekend, a varied roster of historic rally cars — spanning Group A, Group B and World Rally Car eras — were exercised in anger, providing the visceral soundtrack that defines the show. Spectators were treated not only to demonstration runs but also passenger experiences, reinforcing the event’s refreshingly accessible character.
The format continues to work because it connects the past with the present. These are not museum pieces; they are living machines, driven with intent. For publication readers accustomed to reporting on contemporary competition, that authenticity is what elevates Race Retro above a conventional classic car exhibition.
Inside the halls, 2026 offered notable breadth. Club stands were presented with care and imagination, many marking significant anniversaries or celebrating individual models and championships. The Talk Motorsport Stage again proved worthwhile, with interviews and panel discussions providing context, technical insight and first-hand storytelling from leading figures in British and international motorsport.
Meanwhile, the sale conducted by Iconic Auctioneers added a commercial pulse to proceedings. As ever, the auction room drew serious collectors and curious onlookers in equal measure, underlining the robust state of the historic competition market and the continuing appetite for provenance-rich machinery.
What distinguishes Race Retro is its tone. For all the rare cars and high-value transactions, the show retains a grounded, club-centric atmosphere. Competitors preparing for the season ahead mingle freely with restorers, traders and families discovering the sport for the first time. Technical conversations unfold beside autojumble stalls; restoration advice is exchanged as readily as stories from stages long since run.
In that sense, Race Retro functions as both marketplace and meeting place — a forum where the UK’s historic motorsport ecosystem converges before the first green flags of spring.
Race Retro 2026 did not attempt radical reinvention — nor did it need to. By refining a proven formula of live rally theatre, high-quality exhibits and meaningful industry engagement, it delivered a confident and comprehensive season opener.
For those embedded in the sport, it remains an essential date in the diary: part celebration, part preparation, and wholly authentic in its passion for competition machinery past and present.
The RacerViews info
By Matt Hancock
We are passionate, dedicated motorsport professionals.
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