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You won’t find a more diehard group than Group B rally fans. The ultimate conglomeration of no-holds-barred competition brought us some of the most advanced race cars of the era, and with the series ending abruptly in 1986, its tenure was cut short. Thanks to homologation rules, the manufacturers were required to build at least 200 road going versions of these gravel-slinging machines. Though they have now reached astronomic prices, each of them are snatched from the market as soon as they’re listed — and now, Bonhams has a whole collection of them for auction.
Included in this lot are German, French, American, and Italian heroes that you’d be hard pressed to find in any other single sale. With such a wide selection of rally-derived cars to choose from, it’ll be interesting to see how much they go for at the Quail Lodge Auction on August 18th.
The seller has a lot to offer in terms of variety, and leading the way is a trio of Lancias. Things start with the pre-Group B Stratos, a car that many regard as the first purpose-built rally car from the factory. This car is the stuff of legends, and it could very well fetch the top price among the list. Next up is the 037, a homologation version of the last RWD car to win a WRC title. A choice Delta S4 Stradale rounds out the bunch with its twincharged (turbocharged and supercharged) four banger that made nearly 800 horsepower in race spec.
Slipping its head in is a 1-of-24 Ford RS 200 Evolution. The speed-crazed Yankee was produced in the lowest numbers out of the group, making it especially rare in comparison. Not much info is given on the website, but it surely won’t disappoint the ultra-rich crowd in attendance.
The next top-grade selection is a 692-mile Peugeot 205 T16. This example still sports its original tires, showing just how much of its factory-specification remains. The racing version of this car won the WRC championship in both 1985 and 1986, knocking the legendary Audi Sport Quattro S1 off its high-horse.
Speaking of the Quattro, there’s one of those for sale, too. It comes with all of the goodies and has only had one owner since new. To many, it’ll be the grand-daddy of them all thanks to its legendary all wheel drive system and five-pot turbo engine.
There’s no reserve on any of the items for auction, but that doesn’t mean they’ll go for cheap. Many of these cars have had a history of claiming nearly $500,000, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of the same story here.
