From the early '60s. Chelmsford had promoted the famous Britvic Rally, starting from the sponsor's factory in Chelmsford on a Saturday afternoon and heading off towards Norfolk via a series of STAGES. Regrouping in Norfolk, crews were then faced with a 200-mile ROAD rally, using as many 'white' roads as possible and only straying onto 'yellows' so as to connect all the whites together. Following the night's element of the event. crews returned to Chelmsford by way of another series of stages, finishing at about lunchtime on the Sunday. The event was a qualifying round of the 'Mexico Challenge' and Russell Brookes appears on the list of Britvic winners.
This format was a classic of its time but it all came to an end in 1977, when the organising Club felt that the rule changes didn't permit a serious event of this type to take place. So, the rally was split into two separate parts. The stages element remained the Britvic, while the road rally became known as the Preston and they took place at different times of the year.
1970s Britvic Rally photo gallery.
1976 Britvic awards, entry list and info.
Britvic Rally 1986 Results and a photo gallery.
Andy Manston's gallery of the 1988 Britvic Stages
https://www.mandhphotography.co.uk/?q=britvic+stages