Four cars owned by the late rally superstar Colin McRae are being put up for auction in August, with an estimated total value of more than £1 million.
Three rally cars including the first he bought and his first British Championship-winning model, plus an incredibly rare road-going Subaru Impreza are to go under the hammer at Silverstone Auctions’ classic sale at the Silverstone Festival on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 August.
The three rally cars come directly from McRae’s personal car collection and are being sold by his family, while the Impreza is being sold by a private vendor who bought the car in 2006.
1. 1992 Subaru Legacy RS ‘Group A’ rally car
First up for sale is a real slice of rallying history - Colin McRae’s first British Championship-winning car. Reportedly a personal favourite of McRae’s, the Legacy RS was built by Prodrive to full international ‘Group A’ regulations, allowing McRae to dominate the 1992 British championship, scoring a first-ever clean sweep, winning every event.
2. 1992 Subaru Legacy RS ‘Group A’ rally car
McRae's 1992 car was powered by a 2.0-litre boxer engine with charge cooler, producing in the region of 350bhp and driving a specially developed Prodrive four-wheel-drive system
3. 1992 Subaru Legacy RS ‘Group A’ rally car
The championship-winning car was restored around 15 years ago, with a heavy emphasis on recreating the car exactly as it looked during the 1992 season, including its famous original Rothmans livery. It is expected to sell for between £380,000 and £450,000.
4. 1977 Chrysler Sunbeam Ti Group A rally car
This Chrysler Sunbeam Ti is the first rally car that Colin owned and one of the first he ever drove competitively. After completing the 1985 Kames Stages in a borrowed Hillman Avenger, McRae sold his autotest Mini and paid £850 for this Sunbeam. His first time out in it, in December 1985, ended in a collision with a tree and McRae spent the following winter repairing the bodywork, fitting a new engine and preparing it for the 1986 ‘Group A’ Scottish Rally Championship.