FIA Historic Rules

Is Historic racing about racing vehicles as they existed when they were contemporary or is it just an opportunity to race old cars?

Vintage racing has been a great example of technological creep. At one time a 1969 Porsche 2.0 911 was limited by 1969 technology. Today that 1969 Porsche 911 is reaching speeds never imagined by the original designers. It didn’t happen all at once. It evolved over the years. First it was the adjustable shocks, and then came the MSD ignition box followed by wider wheels. Each one of those items was insignificant. But as the technological creep moved on the cars got faster, the costs got higher and the car count got smaller. 

The FIA, or Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, has a set of rules for historic racing cars and these rules don’t change every year. Historic racing cars in most of the world must have FIA papers in order to compete at larger events (plus some selected smaller ones too). These rules provide an internationally accepted set of standards for historic racing.

The FIA is the world governing body of motoring and motor sports and the U.S. is represented at the FIA by ACCUS (Automobile Competition Committee for the United States) whose members are: Grand Am, IMSA, IndyCar, NASCAR, NHRA, SCCA and USAC.

 When Max Mosley was President the FIA came up with two sets of papers. One was the FIA HTP (Historical Technical Passport) and the other was the FIA Heritage Certificate. The Heritage Certificate was intended to provide documentation that this was the only known chassis with this identity and there was an unbroken chain of ownership from the past to the present. It was all about the provenance of the car.  However shortly after Jean Todt became President, the FIA stopped issuing these certificates.

The FIA Historical Technical Passport (HTP) still exists and is a carryover from the old homologation documents that any racecar competing in international racing was obliged to have. The homologation papers demonstrate that the FIA authorities had certified this particular car as belonging to some specific class when the car was current.


The HTP was introduced in 2004. It describes in words and pictures the physical specifications and dimensions of a given car for the purpose of international historic motor sport events that are run under the auspices of Appendix K.

 Appendix K is the appendix to the International Sporting Code (ISC) of the FIA, which deals with historic motor sport. An historic racing car is compared to the factory homologation papers to ensure that wherever in the world a car comes from that it participates with common regulation.

If you want HTP papers you have to prove to an FIA appointed inspector that you own a car that conforms to the exact technical specifications of the original car. These homologation papers include photos, dimensions and part numbers for just about everything; pistons, rods, camshafts, valve springs, suspension control arms, bushings, torsion bars, sway bars, brake rotor diameter, thickness, and calipers.

 An HTP says nothing about the authenticity, provenance or the origins of a car. The purpose of the HTP is to ensure that cars are in accord with the historic specifications. Whether the car is wholly original, partly original, or a recently built replica is not relevant to the issuing of an HTP.

When it comes to historic racing the HTP freezes the car in time. This means that once your historic car is approved by the FIA it’s done. You cannot have 6-piston brake calipers on 1965 Mustang. You have to have the brakes that were approved in 1965. This means that historic Porsches can no longer be approved with carbon fiber fenders and Lexan windshields. Race organizers who require the use of FIA HTP papers generally do not approve of four-way adjustable shocks with external reservoirs.

 You can actually have a replica provided that it is a facsimile copy of an original car (let’s call it a 1:1 scale model). This replica can be raced in historic motor racing provided the race organizer accepts this type of car for their event. You can make a replica racer but it has to be a correct replica. You can’t put Alcon calipers on your TR3. The car has to be built with the same parts that were used when the car was first approved for racing. As I pointed out earlier there is not problem with a replica racer. It just has to be a true replica.     

Having an HTP doesn’t mean you have a historically correct car at the race event. It simply means that when the HTP was issued the car complied with the established mechanical and physical specifications of the homologation papers. It’s up the event organizers to ascertain whether or not your car still conforms to the HTP.

 The original FIA inspection is the baseline. As the car goes through technical inspection at the track the process might be thought of as Appendix K light. It’s nowhere as rigorous as the initial inspection. It’s simply a review.

 Another way to look at all of this is to think of the FIA HTP as a type of showroom stock racing.  It’s far from perfect but the FIA Appendix K may be a way to the technological (and money) train down. They FIA homologation papers might also be a way to standardize the rules across the United States.

We’re starting to see some movement. Where this movement goes is the question. SVRA intends to put more emphasis on the medallion cars in the coming years. While that’s not the same as an HTP document it’s similar in concept. Some groups like SOVREN have always been a little more conservative and I don’t see them changing. We might actually end up with greater distinctions between various sanctioning groups then we currently have. Things will change in the United States. Every racing group in the world is struggling with cost issues. That means slowing the cars down so more people can enjoy participating. Not everyone though will be happy with the technological freeze.