Incomplete, Inaccurate list of challenge cars: The Sequel

Years ago, I threw together a list of cars that had competed at the challenge up through 2009: Incomplete, Inaccurate list of challenge cars

I recently tracked down my old spreadsheet, so I decided to do a quick update this evening for events up through 2016. I'll put the list in my second post of this thread. Here's a few notes on the data:

1. I can guarantee it is not perfectly accurate
2. The list is based on the number of entries, not the absolute number of cars that have been to an event. If a car was run more than one year, it will be counted for each year.
3. An asterisk indicates this make/model won an event.
4. A plus sign means the vehicle was in the "Race" class in 2001
5. I skipped the cars in 2015 that ran in exhibition as part of the challenge anniversary.

Interesting trivia:

1. Mazda has a massive lead as far as manufacturers go at 117. Honda is 2nd at 74, and Ford is 3rd at 68 (or 72 if you consider the Lotus Cortina and the Suprang as Fords).
2. If you count Civics(35) and CRXs(37) as separate models, unsurprisingly, the Mazda Miata is the most common model to compete at the Challenge (47 NAs and 5 NBs). Surprisingly, it only took over in 2015. Before then, the current 2nd place contender was number 1 - the Mazda RX-7 with 50 entries between the 1st and 2nd generations.
3. Fox Mustangs competed in every event from the $1500 Challenge, all the way up to 2014, but did not win until 2014. No Fox Mustangs showed up in 2015
4. Mustangs and Civics/CRXs are the only cars to appear at every challenge. If you consider Civics and CRXs as two different models, then the Mustang is the only one.
5. As DSMs go, the Eagle Talon is the most popular by far with 14 entries (13 1st gen and 1 2nd gen). The Plymouth Laser has been entered 4 times, and the Mitsubishi Eclipse only 3.

And here's the list, in order of most to least entries:

Year/Gen Make Model Total

1st Gen Mazda Miata** 47

Fox Ford Mustang* 36

1st Gen Mazda RX-7 33

E30 BMW 325* 22

2nd Gen Honda CRX* 19

1st Gen Toyota MR2 18

1st Gen Honda CRX* 17

2nd Gen Mazda RX-7** 15

4th Gen Honda Civic 14

1st Gen Dodge Neon 13

1st Gen Eagle Talon 13

VW Rabbit 12

5th Gen Honda Civic 11

Merkur XR4ti 11

Z31 Nissan 300ZX 11

Yugo Yugo 11

Dodge Omni 10

MG Midget* 10

S13 Nissan 240SX 10

Porsche 944 10

Pontiac Fiero 9

Mazda 323 GTX 8

Nissan 240Z* 8

Triumph Spitfire 8

1st Gen VW Scirocco 8

2nd Gen VW Scirocco 8

Dodge Charger 7

3rd Gen Honda Civic 7

Porsche 914 7

A2 VW Golf 7

C4 Chevrolet Corvette* 6

Dodge Shadow* 6

SN95 Ford Mustang 6

Fox Mercury Capri 6

Nissan 280Z 6

Nissan 280ZX* 6

B13 Nissan Sentra SE-R 6

VW Beetle* 6

Alfa Romeo Spider 5

Dodge Daytona 5

Locost Locost 5

2nd Gen Mazda Miata 5

Mitsubishi Starion 5

Plymouth Valiant 5

3rd Gen Pontiac Firebird 5

A2 VW Jetta 5

2nd gen Acura Integra 4

Audi 4000 4

E30 BMW 318 4

BMW 2002* 4

4th Gen Chevrolet Camaro 4

Dodge Aries* 4

Geo Metro 4

Chrome Bumper MG MGB 4

Rubber Bumper MG MGB 4

Mitsubishi Mirage 4

B13 Nissan Sentra 4

Opel GT 4

1st Gen Plymouth Laser 4

Saab 900 Turbo 4

2nd Gen Toyota MR2 4

Mk 3 Toyota Supra 4

3rd Gen Acura Integra 3

2001 Audi A4 3

BMW 320 3

E36 BMW 325 3

Nelson Bug hot rod* 3

Datsun 510 3

Dodge Rampage 3

Unknown Ford Fiesta 3

Ford Ranger 3

MN12 Ford Thunderbird SC 3

Geo Storm 3

1st gen Infiniti Q45 3

Jeep Cherokee 3

1st Gen Mitsubishi Eclipse 3

1969 Plymouth Barracuda 3

Newer Plymouth Colt 3

4th Gen Pontiac Firebird 3

2nd Gen Saturn SC1 3

Subaru SVX 3

Triumph Stag 3

Triumph TR7 3

VW Karman Ghia 3

G-body Buick Regal 2

2nd Gen Chevrolet Camaro 2

3rd Gen Chevrolet Camaro 2

1987 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 2

1966 Chevrolet Corvair Monza 2

1983 Chevrolet Malibu 9C1 2

1975 Chevrolet Monza 2

Chevrolet S10 2

Fiat 118G 2

Ford F-150 2

Ford Festiva 2

Ford Maverick 2

Ford/Lotus Cortina 2

Ford/Toyota Suprang 2

6th gen Honda Civic 2

2001 Honda Insight 2

Lexus LS400 2

Unknown Mazda RX-7 2

Mercury Tracer 2

1st Gen Plymouth Neon 2

1987 Plymouth Sundance 2

2nd gen Saturn SC2 2

2nd Gen Saturn SL 2

1993 Subaru Justy 2

1965 Subeam Alpine 2

Suzuki Swift 2

1995 Toyota Tercel 2

Triumph GT6 2

Volvo 242 2

A3 VW Jetta 2

1959 Zamboni Zamboni 2

1st Gen Acura Integra 1

Unknown Acura Integra 1

2002 Acura RSX 1

1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 1

1973 AMC AMX 1

1983 AMC Spirit 1

1995 Audi S6 1

Audi 90 Quattro 1

1987 Audi Quattro 1

1960 Austin Healey Sprite+ 1

E36 BMW 318ti 1

E36 BMW M3 1

E46 BMW 330i 1

1969 BMW 2500 1

1986 BMW 525 1

1990 BMW 750il 1

BMW Isetta 1

BMW MINI Cooper S 1

1995 Buick Roadmaster 1

1983 Cadillac Cadillac 1

Cadillac Seville SLS 1

Shamu Chevrolet Caprice 1

Chevrolet Corsica 1

1965 Chevrolet Corvair 1

1949 Chevrolet Coupe 1

2004 Chevrolet Impala SS 1

1996 Chevrolet Lumina APV GTP 1

1999 Chevrolet Metro 1

1977 Chevrolet Nova 1

1987 Chevrolet Sprint 1

1985 Chrysler 600 1

1975 Citicar SV90 1

1990 Dodge Caravan 1

Dodge Spirit RT 1

2001 Dodge Stratus 1

2nd Gen Eagle Talon 1

1958 Fiat 500 1

1973 Fiat Spider 1

2004 Ford Crown Victoria 1

1986 Ford Escort 1

1991 Ford Escort 1

1994 Ford F-350 1

1975 Ford Pinto 1

1st Gen Ford Probe 1

2nd Gen Ford Probe 1

Unknown Ford Probe 1

Ford Ranger+ 1

2nd Gen Ford Taurus 1

Unknown Ford Thunderbird 1

1979 GMC Sierra 1

1988 Honda Accord 1

Unknown Honda Civic 1

Unknown Honda CRX 1

Honda N600 1

3rd Gen Infiniti Q45 1

Kia Rio 1

1999 Lexus GS400 1

1994 Lincoln Mark VIII 1

1986 Mazda 626 1

Mazda MX-3 1

1990 Mazda MX6 1

Mazda Protege5 1

Mazda RX-3 1

Mazda RX-4 1

2004 Mazda RX-8 1

1978 Mercedes-Benz 6.9 1

German Mercury Capri 1

MN12 Mercury Cougar 1

Unknown MG MGB 1

MG Midget+* 1

1975 Monzter Monzter 1

1963 Morris Minor 1

Nissan 200SX 1

Nissan 260Z 1

Nissan 280ZX Turbo 1

1992 Nissan 300ZX 1

1995 Nissan Maxima 1

2005 Nissan Quest 1

B11 Nissan Sentra 1

B15 Nissan Sentra SE-R 1

1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 1

Peugeot 505 Turbo 1

1987 Plymouth Colt 1

Plymouth Conquest 1

Plymouth Horizon 1

1989 Plymouth Voyager 1

1987 Pontiac Firefly Turbo 1

Daewoo Pontiac LeMans 1

1980 Pontiac Firebird 1

Porsche 928 1

Porsche 924S 1

1999 Saab 9-3 1

Saab 900 1

Saab 9000 1

1st Gen Saturn SL2 1

Solo Wheeeeeeee+ 1

1962 Studebaker Lark 1

1998 Subaru Impreza 1

2002 Subaru Outback 1

1987 Subaru RX Turbo 1

1987 Subaru XT 1

Subaru XT6 Turbo 1

1954 Swallow Doretti 1

4th Gen Toyota Celica 1

5th Gen Toyota Celica 1

4th Gen Toyota Corolla 1

Toyota Corolla FX16 1

6th gen Toyota Corolla 1

1986 Toyota Cressida 1

2000 Toyota Echo 1

1990 Toyota Hilux Pickup 1

Unknown Toyota MR2 1

Mk 2 Toyota Supra 1

1982 Unkown Unknown 1

1983 RF83 Van Diemen Formula Ford+* 1

Volvo 122S 1

Volvo 240DL 1

1995 Volvo 850R 1

1995 Volvo 850 1

Volvo P1800 1

Batvan VW Bus 1

2006 VW GTI 1

Unknown VW Scirocco 1

Wartburg 311 1

Kinda happy that i have one of the (1) cars

< Kinda happy that i have one of the (1) cars

I have one of them too, but I don't consider it a badge of honor, but its probably due to which one it is.

I have 3 of the (1) cars.

Did you make this list from entry lists, or cars that appeared (often there were last minute substitutes).

Some things read weird, because of the re-entries. There were certainly not 11 Yugos (there were 3- Jonny Pruitt had 2 IIRC, and I had 1). Same thing for 323 GTXes (pretty sure there were only 2).

Nice effort!

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if the Ford/Lotus Cortina was technically a Ford, or a Lotus?

In reply to eastsidemav:

This thread will be very helpful to your research.

Thanks for the efforts! I enjoy these details.

In reply to SVreX:

I counted entries, not individual cars, so if the same car was entered more than once, it was counted the same number of times it was entered. The list is a compilation of mostly spotter's guides from the magazine, and I think a few of the results worksheets. The 2010-up data is all from the magazine results, but I made a few editorial decisions regarding what counts as what, when a car could be argued to be more than one make/model.

I think the Cortina was technically a Ford, even the Lotus versions.

Edit: In the past, I'd considered building a relational database that could be used to track individual cars across multiple challenges, but I haven't had the motivation to do so yet. It would also require me making sure I have all the spotter's guides from the magazine to get as complete information as possible. Another possibility would be a wiki page that would allow everyone to make edits, but I really don't want to moderate that...

In reply to JohnRW1621:

Looks like I could have hit that thread to get my updated info. Maybe Wheels777 and I should team up and release a database of the whole history of challenge results

In reply to eastsidemav:

Then trade it back to the mag for a free challenge entry!

In reply to eastsidemav:

Your list may be a bit more accurate than Mr Nelson's. I am pretty sure his list was made from the entry lists, not the spotter's guides.

I don't know if I should take it as a good or bad sign that my entry this year will make only two of its model. Could even be argued the changes between the years make it a different model (is drive by wire drastic enough to be considered a change?)

This cold and snowy crap needs to go away, I need to do....something to that car to get ready.

We will have the second amc spirit ever entered. I feel special.

Woot. Only BMW e28 (actually a 535).

In reply to Dusterbd13:

There is only one true spirit. There is no definite point where one spirit begins and and another ends. It's a spirit circle.

You know, I just had another thought about this. If it was put together in a database or wiki, or even just a more sophisticated spreadsheet, I could include links to build threads.

SVreX wrote: Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if the Ford/Lotus Cortina was technically a Ford, or a Lotus?

It was a Ford, with a 5.0l installed. Nicely done, but not all that quick.