Ex-McRae Impreza auctioned

The WRC97-spec Impreza bearing chassis #001 was not a works car and did not compete as an official Subaru entrant, but was still significant, because it served as the development car tested by Prodrive to meet the new World Rally Car regulations for the 1997 season. That testing included miles driven by 1995 WRC champion Colin McRae.

As a privateer entry, the Subaru was raced in the 1998 Acropolis Rally and 2001 Swedish Rally, but was more successful in regional and national-level rallying competition. Victorious in the Boucles de Spa Alphonse Delettre Rally in 1998, chassis 001 is also believed to have won rallies in Italy and Cyprus after it was sold to Procar in Italy. While there, the car is alleged to have been driven by nine-time motorcycle champion and known rallying aficionado Valentino Rossi.

From 2002 to 2007, chassis 001 was rallied extensively in Ireland, where it continued to be competitive in its class.

Following the conclusion of its competitive career, chassis 001 had been given a minor cosmetic restoration, but the next owner had Prodrive validate the car’s history and, in 2009, commissioned them to restore the Impreza to its original C1997 condition and appearance – with some of the work done by the same team who had originally built the car back in 1996.

Given its restored condition, which included the use of many SRT parts considered hard, if not impossible, to get hold of today, chassis #001 was expected to sell for at least £175 ,000 and as much as £200,000. It exceeded both to finally hammer for £235,750 (AU$333,800 approx.); a total claimed to be over AU$150,000 more than the previous record for a Subaru sold at public auction. 

In total, H&H’s Classics Sale at Woodcote Park Estate in the UK on 6 June achieved £1.75M (AU$2.47M approx.). For full results and further details, go to: handh.co.uk