The British Saloon Car Championship (the name changed in 1987) began in 1958, with Ken Gregory (at the time the manager of Stirling Moss) credited with its formation. Organisers saw the popularity of early saloon car racing, but no national championship existed before then.Leading home-grown manufacturers of the time - including Austin, Jaguar and Riley - saw it as a great opportunity to show the prowess of their latest models to the buying public on a grand stage. The cars were largely the same as those found in dealerships, inspiring the motto of “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday”.

Jack Sears (right) claimed the inaugural championship in an Austin Westminster.