EAST Lancashire engineer David Taylor will see his beloved VW Beetle return to racing action next month at a special event at Mallory Park.

The motor sport enthusiast from Edgworth spent 18 months rebuilding the classic car before its comeback at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and it is now set to get another run-out as Modsport and Thundersaloon racers recreate some of the greatest V8 saloon racing of the 1970s and 1980s.

Leicestershire circuit Mallory Park will host the event on the August 29 bank holiday, with many of the cars back on the track for the first time in several years.

Taylor’s car was raced by Mick Hill more than 30 years ago and has been invited to take part.

“There has been a lot of talk about the event already, which I’m really pleased about, and there should be a full crowd,” said Taylor, 66.

“We found the car derelict in Cambridge but I restored it and brought it up to modern standard.

“I’ve effectively rebuilt it from scratch.

“It’s a VW Beetle Supersaloon with a V8 engine and it was raced in 1977 by Mick Hill, who is quite well known.

“The car won about 100 races.

“Mick isn’t too well now, he’s had a heart transplant. But Doug Niven, who is Jim Clark’s cousin, drove it at Knockhill last year and the third owner Jack Wilson is coming down from Newcastle to drive it this time for the first time in 30 years.

“Three are only about three Super Saloons in the country now, a lot have either disappeared or gone abroad.

“But it still gets to 160mph so it could leave all the modern cars behind!

“It’s something I’ve always been interested in since I was a little kid, I’m much older now but it’s fantastic that there is so much interest.”

Among the other cars set to be involved will be the legendary Vauxhall Firenza ‘Baby Bertha’, which returns to Mallory 35 years to the day after Gerry Marshall took it to victory in the 1976 Modsports Championship.

Joining Baby Bertha will be more than 30 cars, including a Daf V8, a V8 Beetle, an MGB GT V8, a 4.0-litre Reliant Kitten, and the famous ‘stars and stripes’ Opel Manta.

The event may be the start of what could become a full series in 2012.