Hi, my name is John, have looked on here a bit over the years but hadn't joined till now - not a big forum user but occasionally find it a bit of fun. I don't have a road going Supra, but I do have two original Group A touring cars. There are three in Australia; you all know John Smith's brilliant TOMS built factory MA70 Group A turbo from his posts on here, and I own the other two. Firstly the ex Win Percy/Peter Williamson Team Toyota Great Britain MA61 which was the first Group A Supra built, and secondly the ex Garry Willmington privateer MA70 Turbo which first raced in October 1989 so is one of the last Supra's built prior to the end of the Group A touring car rules. There used to be a 4th car in Australia, the second TTA Supra MA70 Turbo which unfortunately was crushed many years ago to avoid customs duties.
The cars are very different, coming as they did at different ends of the Group A rules. The MA61 was built in 1983 to the rules around at the time; it was slowly updated (and crashed/repaired!) till 1987 and is still basically as it was back then. I currently have it on display at a local Motorsport museum in Australia while I do some thinking about some issues we have been having trying to extract too much horsepower. The MA70 is the exact opposite, having raced last at Bathurst in 1992 so right at the end of the Group A rule changes; it has many more freedoms in some areas and is a typical privateer car - perhaps not the polish of a factory car, but lots of back yard 'cunning' in its design and build.
Anyway hope I can add to the Group A knowledge on here.
John
Withcott, Australia
The cars are very different, coming as they did at different ends of the Group A rules. The MA61 was built in 1983 to the rules around at the time; it was slowly updated (and crashed/repaired!) till 1987 and is still basically as it was back then. I currently have it on display at a local Motorsport museum in Australia while I do some thinking about some issues we have been having trying to extract too much horsepower. The MA70 is the exact opposite, having raced last at Bathurst in 1992 so right at the end of the Group A rule changes; it has many more freedoms in some areas and is a typical privateer car - perhaps not the polish of a factory car, but lots of back yard 'cunning' in its design and build.
Anyway hope I can add to the Group A knowledge on here.
John
Withcott, Australia
