• The oldest rally in Spain is set to make a grand debut under the sponsorship of KH-7, as the 73rd edition of the Rally KH-7 Costa Brava is on track to break its own participation record, with over 250 teams.
  • This year’s event will feature a tribute to the legendary Lancia Rally 037, with the presence of motorsport icons Miki Biasion, Tiziano Siviero, and Salvador Servià, ant the participation of renowned personalities such as Jari-Matti Latvala, pastry chef Jordi Roca and internationally acclaimed singer Álvaro Soler, making it a highlight of the 73 Rally KH-7 Costa Brava.
  • The rally will take place in Girona from 13 to 15 March, with the Service Park located in Fornells de la Selva. It will also mark the opening round of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship.

A Rally of Records. This year’s Rally KH-7 Costa Brava is set to make history, not only for its record-breaking participation but also for the caliber of vehicles, the charisma of its drivers, and the legendary roads that have shaped rally history in Spain.

The 73rd edition kicks off a new chapter with kitchen cleaning and stain-removal products KH-7 as the main sponsor of the oldest rally in Spain and one of the most prestigious rallyes in the world, organized by Club RallyClassics.

With registrations nearing closure, the 73 Rally KH-7 Costa Brava is poised to surpass its previous record of 247 teams, setting a national record for rally participation in Spain. Among the participants are world-renowned rally champions such as Jari-Matti Latvala and Salvador Servià, alongside media personalities like singer Álvaro Soler, pastry chef Jordi Roca, and SEAT’s Global Communications Director, Cecilia Taieb.

The historic rally will take place in Girona from 13 to 15 March. The legendary stages will include classics such as Els Àngels, Santa Pellaia Curt, Salions – Sant Grau Curt, Collsaplana, Sant Miquel de Cladells, and Sant Hilari – Osor. These roads, ideal for historic cars (fun, safe, and not overly fast), will host the opening rounds of the FIA European Historic Rally Championship and the Spanish championship for Historic Vehicles.

A unique tribute to the Lancia Rally 037

In recent years, the Rally KH-7 Costa Brava has paid tribute to its rich legacy as the oldest rally in Spain. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Miki Biasion and Tiziano Siviero’s victory at the 1985 Rally Costa Brava, and the event will celebrate this milestone in style. Both driver and co-driver will be in Girona for the occasion, joined by nearly a dozen Lancia 037s owned by drivers and collectors from across Europe. Salvador Servià, Spanish Rally Champion in 1985 and 1986 with this vehicle and winner of the 1987 Rally Costa Brava, will also take part in the celebrations, driving a 037 in the “Legend” exhibition category.

The tribute will take place on Thursday, March 13, at 5:30 PM at the podium in Girona, where drivers and machines will gather. This will be followed by an autograph session before the competition officially begins at 7:00 PM.

The Lancia Rally, universally known as the “037” (named after its factory code at Abarth), is a legendary car in rally history. It was the last rear wheel drive car to win the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers in 1983. That same year and again in 1985, Biasion and Siviero won the Rally Costa Brava. Since the event became exclusive to historic vehicles, the Lancia 037 has added four more victories to the books, bringing its total to six.

International stars take the wheel

The mythical aura of the Catalan rally extends beyond sports, that’s why the 73 Rally KH-7 Costa Brava attracts renowned figures from other fields who are captivated by the event’s magic.

Internationally acclaimed singer Álvaro Soler will swap the microphone for the steering wheel, competing in a Porsche 911 SC in the Regularity category. This marks his third Rally Costa Brava since his debut in 2022.

Another loyal participant is media personality Jordi Roca. Recognized as the world’s best pastry chef, Roca has become a staple of this event. This year, he will drive a Seat Fura Crono with the Seat Históricos team in the Regularity category. Seat Históricos is fielding five vehicles from its collection, including a Seat Ibiza GTI for Cecilia Taieb, with renowned driver Jordi Gené as co-driver. The participation of this high-ranking SEAT executive underscores the appeal of the 73 Rally KH-7 Costa Brava and the event’s widespread popularity.

On the sporting front, the star of this edition is Jari-Matti Latvala. The Finnish driver will compete in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship season with a Toyota Celica, starting in Girona. This is not his first Rally Costa Brava; in 2004, at just 19 years old, he competed in the event’s last world championship edition.

Latvala went on to become a three-time World Rally Championship runner-up (2010, 2014, and 2015) and is currently Toyota’s WRC team team principal.

Several past winners of the rally will also participate, including Xesús Ferreiro-Javier Anido and “Lucky”-Fabrizia Pons, both two-time winners of the Rally Costa Brava (2014 and 2021 for the Spaniards; 2015 and 2017 for the Italians). Other former winners include Daniel Alonso (2016), Tony Fassina (1982, returning with his spectacular Lancia Stratos), Pascal Perroud (2022), and co-drivers Marco Verdelli (2012) and Maxime Vilmot (2018).

Three days of action and rally atmosphere

The 73 Rally KH-7 Costa Brava kicks off on Thursday, March 13, with the tribute to the Lancia Rally 037. This will be followed by the night stage of Els Àngels.

On Friday, the day will feature two loops through the Santuari dels Àngels, Santa Pellaia Curt and Salions – Sant Grau Curt stages. Saturday will see two more loops through Sant Miquel de Cladells, Collsaplana, and Sant Hilari – Osor. The prize-giving ceremony will take place on Saturday evening.

Each of the three days of competition will begin at the podium in Girona, which will also host the parc ferme. The Service Park in Fornells de la Selva will serve as the regrouping point on Friday and Saturday, offering various attractions for all spectators.

 

For further information about the rally, please visit the RallyClassics website