Seven Group B Rally Cars to hit the Block This Summer

So you’ve inherited a massive fortune from your robber baron great-uncle – congratulations! You’re going to need to start filling up your new chateau(s) as soon as possible with art, priceless furniture, and more importantly, cars. It’s probably going to get a bit tiresome picking through auction dossiers to piecemeal together a collection. To expedite the process, Bonhams is offering a full fleet of sweet, sweet Group B homologation specials, available at its upcoming 2017 Quail auction.

1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale

Ok, so it isn’t technically from the Group B era, but the Stratos’ revolutionary mid-engine configuration was one of the catalysts for the later series. In its time, the Stratos was indomitable, winning three rally championships in the mid-1970s.

Details on each of these cars are scant, but this beautiful blue example has remained with the same owner since 1989, carrying just 7,835 miles on the odometer.

1983 Lancia Rally 037 Stradale

Building on the success of the Stratos was this fabulously angular 037. The new Lancia eschewed the Ferrari-sourced Dino V-6 of the Stratos for a high-compression four-banger, resulting in an overall championship win for the Italian automaker in 1983. This marks the last time a rear-wheel-drive configuration claimed a WRC championship.

This rosso Rally 037 has covered only 5,805 miles since new.

1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale

Rounding out the trio of rallybourne Lancias is the wonderful Delta S4, a fabulously complex and exotic mid-engine, all-wheel-drive terror that thrived in the unrestricted Group B era. The twin-charged 1.8-liter four-cylinder was reportedly capable of spitting out 1,000 hp in certain tunes, but for the calmer street variant, power was a more sedate 247 hp.

This car was purchased new in 1985 and has remained with the same owner since, racking up only 5,500 miles in the process.

1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16

Like the aforementioned Delta S4, don’t trust the hatchback proportions of this Peugeot. Underneath the rear bodywork beats a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, putting down around 197 hp in street trim. The race-spec 205s were highly successful, winning the 1985 and 1986 Drivers and Constructors championships.

This Peugeot has covered just 692 miles and rides on the same tires it was originally delivered with.

1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1

Few homologation specials capture the fervor of Group B better than the eternal Audi Sport Quattro S1. The “Ur-Quattro” signaled the start of Audi’s all-wheel-drive dominance, spurred on by the super-potent turbo-fiver under the front hood. The Ur-Quattro went on to win the 1982 and 1984 championships, cementing Audi’s reliance on the Quattro system.

This white Sport was purchased new by the current owner.

1986 Ford RS200 and 1986 Ford RS200 Evolution

Having already enjoyed rally and racing success with the Escort and Sierra Cosworth, Ford developed the mighty RS200 rally car as a response to all the overpowered, overboosted mid-engine specials trouncing traditional powertrain configurations in Group B. The road car was a spectacular side-effect of this development, culminating in the incredibly rare RS200 Evolution model, of which just 24 were made.

Both the regular RS200 and the Evolution are in impeccable original condition.

Source: Bonhams

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