Sportcom

VEHICLE SELECTION POLICY

The Vehicle Selection Policy of Targa Tasmania is designed to address the relevant principles adopted for the event:

To bring together an exclusive field of Sports Cars and Grand Touring Cars of distinction representing the evolution of the sporting automobile from 1900 to the present day.

1. To develop the event into a high-prestige occasion recognised throughout the world of automobile competition as an essential annual activity for owners and collectors of Sports Cars and Grand Touring Cars of distinction.

2. Objective - The ultimate objective is for the field to comprise vintage, historic, classic and contemporary sports and GT cars which epitomise the finest in the world and which represent every year from 1900 to the present day.

3. Competitions - The competition is run in three separate competitions Targa Tasmania Classic Handicap, Targa Tasmania Classic Outright and Targa Tasmania Modern, with categories based on the age of the vehicles and classes based on the fitted engines cubic capacity.

4. Groupings - Vehicles will be broadly invited as follows for the purposes of selection:

(a) Desirable Vehicles - These are the vehicles for which Targa Tasmania was conceived - the "creme de la creme" of sporting automobiles for which an invitation will be issued without delay.

(b) Acceptable Vehicles - These are vehicles of higher production numbers which still conform to the definition of a sports or GT vehicle, or which are pre-1990 vehicles with a significant competition background. These will be included in the field subject to available space within their category; standard of presentation of the vehicle; nationality of the entrant and/or crew; celebrity status of driver or navigator. A vehicle which is "acceptable" (as distinct from desirable) is more likely to receive an early invitation if it is in concourse condition; and/or is in a section or category which is low in numbers; and/or is driven by an international or celebrity competitor.

(c) Marginal Vehicles - These are borderline cases for which an invitation would not ordinarily be issued until the last month before the close of entries and only then if:
i. The visual appearance of the vehicle is along similar lines to the style of a sports or GT competition vehicle.
ii. Space is available in the section or category.
iii. The vehicle is particularly well presented.
iv. The vehicle is entered by a manufacturer, a distributor or a commercial sponsor who plans to support the entry with a significant promotion which will assist the event. International, high-profile or celebrity competitors will generally be given wider latitude in relation to marginal vehicles.

(d) Inappropriate Vehicles - These are vehicles for which an invitation is unlikely to be issued regardless of circumstances. Generally these vehicles will be:
i. Vehicles which do not confirm to the definition of a sports car, or a grand touring car, or a pre-1990 (refer 4b) car with a competition background.
ii. Late model vehicles with no sporting pedigree or distinctive appearance and which in 15 years are more likely to be regarded simply as superseded models rather than classics. Applicants with inappropriate vehicles will ordinarily be advised quickly and encouraged to nominate a different vehicle.

5. Contemporary and New Release Vehicles
(a) The acceptability of Contemporary and New Release Vehicles is not affected by their technology. Four-wheel drive, ABS, traction control, and semi-automatic gearboxes are all acceptable.
(b) The vehicle itself must, however, be a sports or GT vehicle of distinction which can reasonably be expected to enjoy "classic" status 10 to 15 years after release.

6. Technical Integrity and Modifications
(a) Full details of all performance-influencing modifications are required to be declared on the application form.
(b) Modified vehicles will be reviewed by the Technical Committee, and may be allocated to the relevant category subject to the nature and extent of performance-influencing components or technology used in the modification.
(c) Vehicles with modified engine capacity will be classified in accordance with the modified capacity.
(d) A Vehicle Identity Form will be issued to provide a record of competition in the event. Details of all modifications will be required to be recorded on the form and verified by the event technical officers.

7. Vehicles constructed to copy a Period Vehicle
(a) Period Reproduction – Vehicles constructed at any time in the likeness of another car using major components (i.e. engine, chassis, transmission, axles and suspension) of that or a similar vehicle from the period being represented. The car must replicate the period specification and appearance. Technical updating is not condoned, and shall result in the car being treated as a contemporary vehicle. The car being represented must be at least a two seater and have been made in significant numbers, with at least 5 registered for road use in the world. The eligibility of such vehicles will be at the discretion of the Organisers. Such vehicles shall comply with all relevant contemporary safety provisions.
(b) Modern Reproduction – is a vehicle which has been constructed as a copy of a period vehicle employing any modern mechanical components and/or materials.
(c) Like all other vehicles, replicas and reproductions will be classified in accordance with the capacity of the engine actually used in the competition.

8. Standard of Presentation
(a) The standard of presentation of a vehicle will be taken into account. All other things being equal, vehicles of superior visual presentation will be invited ahead of those which are of lesser standard.
(b) A well-presented "marginal" vehicle may be accepted ahead of a less well-presented "acceptable" vehicle.

Vehicle Specifications - Summary of modification levels:
SS
This class envisages automobiles to be presented in the same condition they were supplied by the manufacturer, save for limited allowances to make them more suitable for rally competition. For all except those automobiles in the Category 1 age grouping, a minimum of 500 automobiles must have been manufactured in the same specification over a period of 5 years. Special low volume or, ‘high performance’ versions of automobiles are not permitted, nor are homologated competition versions or parts allowed.

LMS
An automobile which does not comply with the provisions of SS, or are limited edition automobiles or high performance original production variants from the same period as the original, will generally be classified as LMS. Other than Category 1, any automobile with a production run of less than 250 over a period of 5 years will normally not be eligible for LMS and may only be eligible in MS, subject to other relevant eligibility criteria being met.

MS
It is envisaged that MS automobiles can be modified to a greater degree than LMS automobiles. However, the modification level of such automobiles is controlled to a level deemed compatible withthe environment within which these automobiles will compete. Automobiles modified beyond the limits specified for LMS, will be required to run in MS subject to the limitations of this regulation. The minimum production number is 5 automobiles. It is the obligation of the Competitor to prove that the minimum quantity has been produced.

SR
This category is for vehicles manufactured from 2003 onwards and allows very few modifications from how the vehicle was supplied off the showroom floor. The regulations for Showroom are listed in the Targa Tasmania Supplementary Regulations.