The home of the Historic Marathon Rally Group. The Historic Marathon Rally Group (HMRG) is a friendly UK-based network of enthusiasts dedicated to reuniting historic rally cars, competitors, service crews, and supporters from around the world. Our mission is to celebrate and promote the legendary Marathon Rallies and Classic Car Endurance events of the past while fostering a shared passion for motorsport history.
We’ll be welcoming our friends, show visitors, Group Members and all Historic Rally enthusiasts and have our Stand set up ready with Bob Beale’s famous Team Colorado Beetle and Committee Member Michael Ryman’s restoration project Gilbert Invader Estate on show and waiting to greet you! Hoping to say “hello” over the weekend, so do drop in and say “hi”!
On Sunday 19th April 2026, the Historic Marathon Rally Group will be hosting the biggest and best Rally Show as we bring together all of the cars and all of the people involved in every Marathon Rally and Classic Car Endurance Event since the 1960’s.
From London to Sydney, London to Mexico, London-Sahara-Munich, Paris-Peking, Around the World in Eighty Days, The Inca Trail, Le-Jog, Monte Carlo Historique and from the hundreds of challenging rallies of the past sixty years up to the present day, all comers are invited to a day of displays, reunions, new connections and stories from the past.
So if you are lucky enough to own a competing car or have had some kind of involvement in Marathon and Historic Rallying, make a note of the date in your diary – Sunday 19th April 2026 – and watch this space for more details or contact us at [email protected] for more information
The Historic Marathon Rally Group (HMRG) will have a stand at the Classic Car and Restoration Show from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd March at the NEC Birmingham. Hall5, Stand 745.
If you wish to take advantage of our Club Discount when ordering tickets, please use the code CCC5M660
Our stand will comprise two interesting cars for lovers of the unusual.
Firstly, we will be displaying the ongoing restoration of a very rare 1972 Gilbern Invader MkII Estate, owned by HMRG Committee member Michael Ryman. This particular Ford 3.0 litre Essex V6 car powered model was rescued in primer from a garden in Woking, Surrey, having been dismantled by its long term owner who had given up the good restoration fight after completing a full engine rebuild and installation. With just 26000 miles from new and accompanied by every single piece of documented paperwork since the date of original order, we at the HMRG wanted to showcase the car now that it has been finished in Rolls Royce Champagne Beige metallic and just as its painstaking reassembly commences.
Secondly, and in keeping with our usual habit of presenting unusual historic rally cars, how about Bob Beale’s now famous Volkswagen Beetle, a former Monte Carlo Historique competitor and surely the most outrageous 60 year old rally car known!
Bob will be showing this car on our Stand at the Show, so if you fancy dropping in for a friendly chat and finding out a bit more about the cars and the people, don’t hesitate to book your ticket soon!
We look forward to seeing you in Birmingham! Remember…Hall 5, Stand 745.
This will be a huge day in the history of BMC Competition with Clubs, Cars and Competitors sharing space with enthusiasts and supporters from around the globe.
The Historic Marathon Rally Group will present a range of significant rally cars associated with BMC together with invited guests in an unrivalled atmosphere.
Make it a date, put it in your diary and enjoy a great day out!