The Lombard Rally Festival was created by Tim Nash. Tim has been part of rallying all his life and competed in events himself. One of his early memories is waking up to a room full of rally drivers asleep in his parents’ house after an overnight event. Rallying ran through the family.

Tim followed his brother Tony Nash into the sport. Tony competed at the highest level. He took second place on the 1968 London to Sydney Marathon with Paddy Hopkirk. He also drove for Triumph, Ford, British Leyland and Renault Alpine on major international and European rallies. Tim competed in the same era. One example is his run on the 1976 Lombard RAC Rally, which is where the idea for today’s events started.

After speaking with old friends and past competitors, Tim found many historic rally cars sitting unused. Some owners struggled to find parts. Others could only use their cars in Europe due to UK rules. There was clear demand for a safe, controlled, enjoyable way to use these cars again.

The first event in 2018 was planned as a social weekend. Tim expected around 30 cars. More than 120 arrived. Spectators turned up in large numbers without any formal advertising. That response proved the format worked. It also showed that people wanted to see these cars in action and wanted a simple way to enjoy the heritage of the old Lombard RAC routes.

From there, the Festival grew into a full series of single‑venue demonstrations at estates across the UK. Each event now brings together period rally cars, respected drivers, scenic tours, displays and activities for families.