Classic Group B rally cars are to be shown off once more at Donington.

A spring festival at Donington will see the parading of the speedy Group B motor cars which gained fame for their lightness and speed during rallies in the 1970s and 1980s.

Donington Festival is gearing up for a return of the famous Group B rally cars when the British track hosts a classic car event in April.

The racing cars were so quick they actually caused serious accidents and left health and safety laws in the car’s slipstream. This led to the Group B type being banned following the 1986 Tour de Corse.

As part of the Donington Historic Festival which takes place over the last weekend of April, the Group B class will be driven around a specially designed tarmac track for the GB loop.

Cars present at the festival will include Audi Quattros, Ford RS200, the Lancia 037, Porsche 911 RSR, Peugeot 205 T16 and MG Metro R64.

The event will also feature an example of the Ferrari 308 GTB. The vehicles will be driven around the circuit by “Rallying Group B” club members during the weekend as part of the exhibition.

Donington has a historic link to the Group B rally cars with the circuit hosting the RAC Rally between 1972 and 1990 on an ad hoc basis. During the heyday of the Group B era the lightweight cars were the dominant forces in the stages with their turbo-boosted engines.

However, several problems – the most notable of which was the fatal accident of Finnish driver Henri Toivonen – led to the Group B class being decommissioned. The banning of the vehicles has led to them attaining cult status with racing enthusiasts as they have been labelled the quickest and most powerful engines in motor racing.

Fans will have the chance to witness the Group B class cars first hand between 29 April and 1 May this spring.