Pirelli International Rally has a long and distinguished pedigree stretching back over a quarter of a century to 1974 when all the motor clubs in Cumbria got together, at the instigation of Vic Horsley, Chairman of Furness Motor Club, to organise one "big" event. The first rally called the Tour of Cumbria, ran in 1975 and attracted massive 180 entries.

Pirelli first arrived as sponsors in 1977; the car park of their Carlisle factory being turned into a giant service area and, with their enthusiastic support, the rally was accepted into the Castrol/Autosport National Championship. This meant that more and longer "Special Stages" were required so the traditional Lake District area was abandoned in favour of the giant Kielder Forest, Europe's largest man made forest complex.

In 1983 the rally became the first Mintex National Championship round to run overnight. The challenge of running through Kielder by moonlight, causing numerous retirements. In both 1989 and 1990, the event was voted the best organised round of the series. The reward for this consistently high standard came in 1992 when the rally was elevated to international status. Pirelli International Rally became a round of the Mobil 1 British Rally Championship, causing a stir when it carried off the best rally award in it's first year at top level. Former world champion, Colin McRae, won the inaugural international event. Current world champion Richard Burns won the following year and in 1995 another former world champion, Finland's Ari Vatanen, became the first foreign driver to triumph.

The organisers of the Pirelli International Rally have always been innovative, in 1997 they organised the championships first "Double Header" event and, in partnership with Pirelli have pioneered the "Rally Show" concept, where spectators can both see rally cars in action and also enjoy a range of other spectacular displays and attractions. The move to Gateshead gives the organising team yet another chance to add a new dimension to the rally, working in partnership with the local authority, the aim is to bring motorsport to an even wider audience and add another chapter to Gateshead's impressive history of international sporting events.