The 1956 running of the RAC Rally was “probably the best ever” since its 1932 inception, as “although run in ideal weather conditions, the 2100-mile event had been fast and very tough, making heavy demands on cars and crews”.
The 205 cars had set out concurrently from Hastings and Blackpool to meet at Prescott for a timed hillclimb; then driven to Bridgwater for a night navigation section; onwards to a succession of tests at Castle Combe, Matchams Park and Brands Hatch; and then again to Silverstone, Cadwell Park and Gamston.
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Next the field bifurcated for drives to York and Harrogate, before meeting up again at Scotch Corner, from where they headed through the night up to Charterhall, back down to Penrith and on to Blackpool for the final tests the next morning.
“The vicissitudes, adventures and misfortunes of those that set out on the event would fill a book. As a proving ground for production cars, there’s no doubt the RAC Rally has a great deal to commend it; there can be little at fault with a car that survives its considerable strain.”
Best proved of the 162 finishers, then, was the Aston Martin DB2, followed by the Jaguar XK150, Morgan Plus Four and Jaguar Mk I.
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