Prior to 1954, internationally agreed motor-sport regulations existed only for Racingracing Carscars and Sportssports Carscars (FIA Appendix C).<ref name=":21" /> After a testy gestationinitial period,<ref name=":16" /> the FIA introduced for the 1954 motor racing calendar new "Appendix J"<ref name=":15">{{cite web|url= http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/whistj?open |title=FIA Historic Appendicies J - of the Period |website=argent.fia.com |access-date=2017-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= http://historicdb.fia.com/regulations/period-appendix-j |title=Regulations - Period Appendix J {{!}} FIA Historic Database |website=historicdb.fia.com|access-date=2017-04-19}}</ref> regulations covering Productionproduction Touringtouring Carscars, tuned Specialspecial Touringtouring Carscars, Grangran Turismoturismo Carscars, and Productionproduction Sportssports Carscars. This was the first officially sanctioned international recognition of the Grangran Turismoturismo category.<ref name=":16" />
The 1954 Grangran Turismoturismo regulations stipulated cars for personal transport with closed bodywork built by the manufacturer of the chassis, although open bodies and special coachwork were admissible if listed in the official catalog of the manufacturer of the chassis and if the weight of the car was at least the same as the closed standard model. Minimum production was 100 cars during 12 months and cars needed to have only two seats.<ref name=":16">{{cite web|url= http://forums.autosport.com/topic/158484-fia-touring-rules-1952/|title=FIA touring rules 1952 – Historical Research, in memory of David McKinney |work=The Autosport Forums|access-date=2017-03-28 |language=en}}</ref>
Fittingly, Grangran Turismoturismo categories (under 1500 and over 1500) were first included in round 3three of the [[1954 World Sportscar Championship|1954 FIA World Sports Car Championship]] at the Mille Miglia (the first placed GT being the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT of Serafini and Mancini).<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Mille_Miglia-1954-05-02.html|title=Mille Miglia 1954 – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2017-03-28}}</ref> GT entries would become a regular feature alongside their Sportssports Carcar brethren at international races from this time forward: GTs raced in Worldworld Championshipchampionship rounds at the Targa Florio from 1955, [[6 Hours of Nürburgring|Nürburgring]] from 1956, [[12 Hours of Sebring|Sebring]] from 1957, [[24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans]] from 1959, and [[1000 km Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires]] from 1960 (from which year every round of the Worldworld Championshipchampionship included GT cars). In 1960 and 1961 an FIA ''Coupé de Grand Tourisme'' (Grand Touring Cup) was awarded.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/championship/World%20Championship.html|title=World Sportscar Championship – Championships – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com|access-date=2017-03-28}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{cite web|url= http://www.classicscars.com/wspr/results/wscc/nf_ms_home.html|title=World Sportscar Championship |website=classicscars.com|access-date=2017-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xn6eOh525AYC&q=FIA+Coup%C3%A9+de+Grand+Tourisme&pg=PA15 |title=Alfa Romeo Tipo33: The Development, Racing, and Chassis History|last1=McDonough|first1=Ed|last2=Collins|first2=Peter|date=2006-03-18|publisher=Veloce Publishing Ltd|isbn=9781904788713|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.racingsportscars.com/championship/FIA%20GT%20Cup.html|title=FIA GT Cup – Championships – Racing Sports Cars |website=racingsportscars.com |access-date=2017-03-28}}</ref>
The FIA Grandgrand Touringtouring category came to be known as "[[Group 3 (racing)|Group 3]]", and is defined in the 1961 Appendix J (English) regulation as: "Vehicles built in small series for customers who are looking for better performance and/or maximum comfort and are not particularly concerned about economy. Such cars shall conform to a model defined in a catalog and be offered to the customers by the regular Sales Department of the manufacturer."<ref name=":15" />
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File:Bonhams - The Paris Sale 2012 - Aston Martin DB4GT Coupé - 1961 - 017.jpg|Aston Martin DB4 GT 1961
File:1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato - fvr3.jpg|[[Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato]] 1961
