The Illuminations Rally was started in 1955 and, was originally named the Eastwood Rally, after local businessman Arnold Eastwood. The Illuminations Rally (being based in Morecambe in October the name seemed fitting), rapidly became regarded as one of the best road rallies in the North west and was soon incorporated into the National Motoring News Championship.

In 1990, local Ford dealers Pye Motors offered their support for the revived Classic Illuminations Rally which takes in some of the finest roads around Morecambe Bay and the Lake District. The Classic Illuminations Rally is a round of the Historic Rally Car Register road rally championship. Run during the last weekend in October the event consists of a Saturday daylight leg comprising special test and regularity sections, a night leg which is simply a road rally and the Sunday morning special tests. After the end of the Sunday morning special tests competitors retire to the Headway Hotel for the after rally dinner and prize giving.