Ford Escort RS Cosworth Monte Carlo, 1994, 116k, PH Auction
While it’s always difficult to know exactly where to begin with homologated rally cars, one thing is for certain: a Cossie must feature somewhere. So this time around, the Escort RS can kick us off. No matter that it wasn’t the dominant rally weapon Ford hoped it to be, or the greatest hot hatch ever to drive, the Cossie looked the nuts, went like the clappers, and ensured every Escort in the land benefitted from its considerable halo effect. This one is a very special Cossie: a Monte Carlo, first off, number 14 of 200 and one of the final big turbo cars. It’s painted in the best colour for an Escort Cosworth - no arguments, please - of Mallard Green. It’s been with just three owners in 30 years. And a host of modifications, including new Koni suspension, better AP Racing brakes, and a 2.0-litre turbo that now makes more than 150hp extra over stock, should make it a riot to drive. Bidding starts tomorrow.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI TME, 2000, 122k, PH Auction
One reason that the Cossie didn’t win as many rallies as hoped for during the '90s was the dominance of the Mitsubishi Evo. If Lancia ruled the roost at the start of the decade, then it was Mitsubishi’s turn in the final years of the 20th century, Tommi Makinen famously winning four drivers’ champs consecutively. A special edition in his honour was the least Mitsubishi could do for its hero, and the TME launch followed very soon after the start of official UK sales for the standard car. Evo fever gripped enthusiasts, and the Tommi Mak is still (rightly) held up as one of the best of the breed. This PH auction car stands out as a Special Colour Pack example, one of very few ever made that came looking just like the rally car. Imported in 2022 and only modestly modified (honest), it’ll be a glorious reminder of just how awesome these cars really were.
Prodrive P25, 2023, 145 miles, PH Auction
Getting hold of Tommi Makinen Edition or an Escort Cosworth Monte Carlo isn’t the sort of opportunity that presents itself everyday, but how’s this for a once-in-a-lifetime chance: the only Solar Silver Prodrive P25 ever made. It’s number 10 of the production run, one of just 12 right-hand drive cars. The ultimate road-going Impreza from the people who made the ultimate motorsport Imprezas was always a vanishingly rare beast, especially as all 25 were snapped up post haste. Easy to see why: nearly 500hp from a completely rebuilt boxer turbo, sequential gearbox, carbon bodywork, active centre diff, adjustable Bilstein dampers… the P25 is the Impreza of your wildest dreams. Of so many enthusiasts, in fact. Almost 30 years on from Colin’s WRC title, nothing on four wheels is quite so evocative as a rally-ready Subaru. Expect some fierce bidding on what is basically a brand-new example come Wednesday.
Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC, 1986, 129k, £19,995
Hands up who remembers the Ritmo? Not many of you, I’m betting - and that’s because Fiat’s family car was heavily outsold by the Golf and Astra in the early ‘80s. But with Abarth’s help it spawned two generations of hot hatch, and a none too shabby one by all accounts (any recollections welcome below, as ever). By 1983 it came with a twin carb 2.0-litre four-pot - so we’re betting it sounds the part - and in grey it definitely looks it. While it very much lives in the shadow of the earlier 131, Fiat did apparently take the car rallying, although the attraction now is more about a) rarity and b) retro appeal. Of course, you’ll pay a pretty penny for those qualities in 2024: the car is up for £19,995 despite its 129k miles and import status. Still, in some ways, the coolest car here.
Toyota GR Yaris, 2021, 45k, £24,900
That the rootin' tootin' GR Yaris is a throwback is hardly in question, but one of its most likeable aspects is the idea of a major OEM throwing untold amounts of money at the challenge of winning a WRC championship. Once upon a time, that was the norm (Porsche building the 959 with intention of entering Group B is merely indicative of how colossally brilliant top-flight rallying used to be). So when Toyota remade its humdrum supermini with a lightning rod three-pot and adaptive all-wheel drive - that it had to relearn how to do - we all fell over backwards with our wallets open. It really did feel like the firm had done something special in 2020. The latest version, in case you hadn't heard, is frighteningly expensive, so it's a good thing that the model's resulting popularity has helped with used prices, which means you can get a first-gen car from £25k. Behold a one-owner example with 45k on the clock.
Bentley Continental GT3 FastR, 2019, 1k, POA
If interest in international rallying has tapered in recent times, one competition that seems to have grown in the public imagination is Pikes Peak - or at least it has attracted a lot of manufacturer interest thanks to the relative cost-effectiveness of its scheduling and ease of entry. Granted, it’s not strictly speaking a rally - nevertheless, rally cars did very well there when the hill climb was mostly off-road. Now it attracts aero’d-up, custom-built monsters like this actual ex-works Bentley GT3 FastR which competed there back in 2019. It can’t claim to be a former King of the Hill, but the ad is probably right to suggest that it's the most extreme variant of the Continental GT ever produced, and therefore enjoys a unique place in the firm’s history books. Hard to say what it’s worth - or where you’d use it - but it tops even the P25 for no-expense-spared silliness.
1 / 6
