Parc fermé
A closed, supervised area where cars are parked and no work on them is allowed – for example overnight or after the finish.
The parc fermé (French for 'closed park') is a sealed, supervised area in which the cars are parked at certain points of an event. Inside the parc fermé a strict ban on work applies: repairs, adjustments and refuelling are forbidden, and only authorised persons may enter.
Typical occasions are the overnight halt on multi-day events, the period before the start and the phase after the finish, when protests are possible and the cars must remain available for any post-event technical check. The term comes from the FIA regulations and is used unchanged worldwide.
At classic-car regularity rallies the parc fermé is usually handled more loosely than in best-time motor sport; the exact rules – such as whether spannering is allowed in the evening – are set out in the supplementary regulations.
Glossary from A to Z
Related terms
Tripmeter
A precise supplementary instrument for measuring the distance driven – more accurate than the standard odometer. The co-driver's key tool, often called a tripmaster.
Regularity rally
Classic-car motorsport where precision counts, not speed: hold prescribed average speeds and target times as exactly as possible.
H-Kennzeichen
Germany's official historic-vehicle plate with an ‘H’ for cars 30+ years old – full everyday use, flat vehicle tax, free access to low-emission zones.