FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup their Favorit model, despite it only being a 1300cc class car. The event wins were spread much more evenly than they had been the year before; Skoda, GME and Renault all won two events each, whilst Ford and Nissan won a single event. 1995 saw the series begin to take off. Reigning champions Skoda replaced the Favorit with the new Felicia KC, and initially entered it in both 1300 and 1500cc form. Citroen entered a ZX 16v Kit Car, whilst their French rivals Peugeot and Renault entered their 306 Maxi and Clio Maxi cars respectively. SEAT completed the new entries
Pony car of these nameplates, from base models through high-performance "muscle car" extremes, developed in league with factory supported racing to gain a marketing edge. The competition between the manufacturers was so fierce the Trans-Am Series from 1966 to 1972 is described as "The Pony Car Wars". While sales were strong throughout the end of the 1960s, pony cars' greater value was in generating brand loyalty, particularly among the crucial youth market. In 1970 "Car and Driver" reported that while very few pony car drivers bought a second, around 50% purchased another model from the same manufacturer. Even so, by as early