In 1982, the Federation International de l’Automobile rolled out an entirely new set of regulations covering all major disciplines of motorsport. Abandoning its rather muddled numbers-based nomenclature, the FIA decided to switch to letters for the new era. The first of these four new categories was Group A, covering production based touring cars and rally cars.

In a direct juxtaposition to the more extreme Group 5 machines of old, Group A was made to abide by very strict homologation rules. During the late 1970’s ordinary touring cars had been transformed into nearly unrecognizable fire-breathing turbocharged silhouette monsters. This greatly diminished their marketing potential for manufacturers, and even lead them to fight top level prototypes for superiority. With Group A the FIA hoped to put a stop to this wanton lunacy, and restore the natural order in the world of motorsport.