Rally Discussion and Bar Talk Thread

[NickRally]

But ofc it is. This has lasted already for a while and is going to get worse. I was saying that full EV is not going to happen, probably ever.
Thinking about motorsports and probably the next step in production vehicles Audi`s idea of an "EV" with a TFSI generaator comes into mind.

I guess you are referring to this:

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/...ar-rally-13440

In my view this is a very cunning arrangement, it keeps the EV enthusiasts happy while providing as much range as the engineers choose to design in. In any case, efficiency of this drivetrain will not be worse than pure electric drive train and electricity produced in a modern coal power plant. They can play with battery capacity so that it can still be called a BEV (in the eyes of the EV supporters), but overall energy source weight, i.e. batteries plus combustion engine, electric generator and fuel tank, is kept in check. All in all, Audi may once again be the rally(raid) groundbreakers as they were with 4WD. They can claim (irrespective if true or false), that as battery technology develops, the role of the combustion engine is gradually reduced in this series hybrid drivetrain. As I said, very cunning in my mind.

On the other subject, I fully agree with all of you that suggested FIA should drop the requirement for homologation coming from the manufacturers. It is correct that the profile of the series depends on them being present, but the entries can be boosted by private companies preparing cars on their own. Again, as it was mentioned, nothing to prevent these cars being road legal. And although finding the budgets to undertake such projects is not easy, companies whose bread and butter depends on it, will find a way.

[dimviii]

do you like an audi quattro S1?
estimated price 1-1,3 million euros



The car for sale

In 1988, Michèle Mouton decided to organize in Montlhéry the "Course des Champions", in tribute to Henri Toivonen, who died in the Tour de Corse 1986. This first event takes place on December 4 and uses a route which borrows pieces from the official circuit and sections inside the speed ring, some of them in dirt. It hosts the last eight world champions and takes place in the form of a timed special, the drivers succeeding each other in the same cars loaned by the manufacturers. The "champion of champions" is rewarded with the Henri Toivonen trophy which, during this first edition, goes to Juha Kankkunen, ahead of Timo Salonen.
For the rest, let's give the floor to Olivier Quesnel, then director of the Hommell Group. "Michèle Mouton came to see us in rue de Lille, where the group's offices were located, and we helped her a little to complete the organization of the event, in terms of communication in particular." Moreover, the program is published in the form of a special edition of Auto Hebdo, one of the group's titles.
"Of course I went to Montlhéry on race day," continues Olivier Quesnel, "and I suddenly stopped in front of an Audi Quattro Sport S1. I said to myself," This one is for me! "I went to the stand to see the Audi manager, who told me that the cars were not for sale. I set off again, talking about my past at Peugeot-Sport with Jean Todt, asking Michèle Mouton for supporting me and specifying that the car was for a museum.
Finally, after a long harassment process, they agreed to sell me the car. I then went to Ingolstadt and there, in the courtyard, there were several racing cars under tarpaulin and, in the middle, the Quattro S1 which they reserved for me, without tarpaulin, with a sign "Welcome Olivier"! It was quite moving.
We did all the paperwork with Audi AG, including a long sales contract, and my team went to get the car to bring it back to Bruno Saby in Grenoble, for preparation, before it was installed at the museum. It turns out that that same weekend Bruno was organizing a charity event on the speed track that dated back to the 1968 Olympics. When he saw the Quattro pull up on the trailer, he managed to convince me to let him ride. I just asked him to be careful ... Then came Ari Vatanen, who asked me the same. And finally Michèle Mouton. I couldn't refuse! But the turbo broke. I asked Audi for another and, after repair, the car left for the museum. "

Today, the car file includes a letter from Audi Sport dated February 22, 1989 signed by HP Gassen and S. Krause mentioning the sales contract, as well as the invoice for the sale, dated March 9, 1989. This Ci specifies that the car left the factory on September 14, 1988 in the color "Alpinweiss" and that the odometer totals 1000 km. As confirmed by its release date and mileage, the Race of Champions is the only event in which this car has participated, in the hands of the best drivers who have followed one another behind the wheel. It was sometimes used by pilots passing through Lohéac and the engine was rebuilt in the early 2000s. It presents exceptional authenticity and history, confirmed by its remarkably preserved original condition, both outside and inside.

When he recently took over the wheel of this car at Lohéac, Bruno Saby told us, "I didn't feel any heaviness thanks to the power, which is a big part of the fun. Although the car was fitted with gravel tires, I could tell immediately that it was well balanced. Perhaps it had even more potential than our Lancias. "
Today, Quattro S1 are extremely rare. Some have been destroyed and Audi Tradition has several survivors. The opportunity to buy one that is in private hands is therefore exceptional, all the more so for a car so well preserved.


We inform buyers that all the vehicles in the collection have been little used in recent years as it concerns a museum collection. They are therefore sold as is, without technical control and should benefit from a general overhaul before getting back on the road.

https://www.artcurial.com/en/lot-198...ttro-s1-4058-9

[dimviii]

if you dont have so much money,never mind.
You can afford a cheaper grB with 600-800.000 euros.



Chassis n° VF3741R76E5200009

- Second on the 1985 Tour de Corse with Saby/Fauchille
- Driven in the World Rally Championship by Saby and Salonen
- C201: "Granny", the grand old lady of the Evo 2 family
- Still registered in the name of Peugeot Sport
- The Group B car which was twice World Champion

The 205 Turbo 16 was one of France's greatest industrial and technological successes, like Concorde and the TGV. It soon dominated the world championship and won two titles, in 1985 and 1986, despite strong competition from Audi and Lancia. The Group B programme was announced by Jean Todt at the end of 1981, with its first entry on the Tour de Corse in 1984! The design brief was simple: the car had to look like Peugeot's best-selling 205, weigh no more than 950kg and have a mid-mounted turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive, like the Audi. The last point demonstrated Todt's vision as early as 1981, whereas other manufacturers only went down this route much later.
To achieve this, Todt assembled a high-quality team of creative, passionate and pragmatic contributors like those that France, in its eternal glory, can produce when it believes in itself. They included Jean-Pierre Nicolas as test driver, Jean-Claude Vaucard from the R&D department, and two notable hires poached from Renault: the engine specialist Jean-Pierre Boudy and, above all, the chassis engineer André de Cortanze who was working on the Moto Elf. Many key figures in the T16's history had spent time at Alpine, winner of the WRC in 1973: Nicolas, Saby, Jabouille, Fréquelin and, of course, Todt and de Cortanze!
On 29 March 1984, the 200 customer versions of the 205 Turbo 16 - essential for the 20 "Evolution" competition cars to be homologated - were presented to the FIA. They had been produced in less than 12 months, the rule for homologation in Group B. The next day, the 20 competition cars were brought in to be counted and approved by the FIA. The T16 was duly homologated on 1 April. A month later, on the 1984 Tour de Corse, the T16 demonstrated its potential: Nicolas finished 4th, exactly 20 years after driving a Renault Dauphine in the 1964 Tour de Corse! "Jumbo" still had what it took, Todt had not been wrong ... Vatanen, who was in the lead for a time, came off the road and his T16 went up in smoke, leaving a deep mark on de Cortanze.
20 Evo 1 cars were built by PTS, with the production numbers C1 to C20. The Evo 2 cars were numbered C201 to C220. These production numbers should not be confused with the chassis numbers, which were linked to a registration document ... and could be inconsistent! The competition T16 Evo 1s and the first Evo 2s were given the chassis numbers VF3741R76E5200001 to 20 so they could be registered in 1984. These chassis numbers were all slightly different from those of the "200-series" T16s. From October 1985, the Evo 2s were given chassis numbers starting VF3741R76F5591501. As in all motorsport departments, the number was not stamped on the bodyshells. The production number was painted on the doorjamb and a manufacturer's plate riveted in place, but the registration document could be passed from one car to another ...

EVOLUTION 1 AND EVOLUTION 2

Nicolas recently confirmed that the first T16, later known as the Evo 1, was a real truck: it was difficult to drive and exhausting in rallying, with 150bhp going through the front wheels. Bruno Saby thought the same of the Evo 2 without power steering ... As for de Cortanze, he considered his own roadgoing T16 impossible to use in town as its steering was so heavy!
As soon as he arrived at PTS, de Cortanze set to work improving and developing the T16. With his infectious enthusiasm, he told us of the work he did on the chassis to develop the Evo 2:
- Removing the rear girder section, held in place by two arms locating the engine and suspension. A major handicap for the service crews, this assembly was replaced by a tubular chassis, which also made it possible to fit a large silencer between the engine and the rear of the car.
- Rethinking and rationalising the front of the car, with changes to the spare wheel support, wheelarches etc.
- Fitting an integrated roll cage and carrying out extensive work to save weight.
As a result, the Evo 2 was much lighter (saving 35kg on the bodyshell alone) and much stiffer than the Evo 1. It was much easier to work on the engine. In addition, having been deeply affected by the fire on Vatanen's car, de Cortanze improved the layout of the fuel pipes, with connections at the back of the fuel tanks rather than underneath. A large skidplate - 1cm thick and weighing 70kg - was fitted to protect the fuel tanks under the seats. The tragic deaths of Toivonen and Cresto on the 1986 Tour de Corse proved him right and justified his obsession with the risk of fire.
The other major change on the Evo 2 was to fit power steering ... but only from the 1985 San Remo! It was not fitted to C201 for the 1985 Tour de Corse which, according to Saby, made the T16 Evo 2 very hard to drive, with its greatly increased power (430 instead of 350bhp) and lighter weight. A power steering pump used in aeronautics and operating at 300 bars was then fitted, with the help of Dassault Aviation. The extremely high pressure made it possible to fit a smaller cylinder. Meanwhile, Guy Micard, a former Matra engineer, directed the work of the Magneti Marelli technicians to re-program the mechanical injection system. De Cortanze also introduced some novel solutions on the Evo 2, such as using the engine coolant to heat the shock absorbers in Sweden, as on the night-time special stages at -40°, the suspension was otherwise completely inoperative, even long after the start! Virtually everything was revised or changed on the Evo 2: the brakes, clutch, transmission, cylinder head, water injection, intercooler, aerodynamics and cooling system. With its large rear spoiler, it was probably the best-looking Group B car built, as it must be admitted that next to the Audi Sport or S4, it was like comparing plain Jane with Brigitte Bardot!
The result of this almost complete makeover lived up to expectations: more powerful (by at least 80bhp) and lighter by 50kg, the Evo 2 was, in the words of Nicolas, "more agile and easier to drive", and, according to Saby, a delight to drive, admittedly a monster in its 500bhp final versions, but a great car with an engine that was easy to make the most of. Quite a feat at this level of motorsport!

[dimviii]

THE TURBO 16 EVO 2 CHASSIS NO. VF3741R76E5200009

Registered as 24 FGV 75, the car made its competition début on the 1985 Tour de Corse, with Saby at the wheel. It was the Evo 2's first appearance in competition and a trial run, as the Evo 1's career would continue for several months until the new model was fully operational. The PTS archives record the production number of this car as C201, making it the first Evo 2, and it was also nicknamed "Granny".
The favourites for the Tour de Corse were Vatanen and Salonen, both driving Evo 1s. Saby's job was to get some miles under the wheels of the new model. However Salonen retired almost immediately and Vatanen, fighting Ragnotti in his Maxi 5 Turbo, came off the road abruptly and destroyed his T16, fortunately without any injuries. Peugeot's hopes now rested on Saby and Fauchille, and Todt directed them to finish in the points and bring the car home on the podium. Saby told us that the car was exhausting without power steering, proving very hard to drive and tricky to control. Despite this, he won two stages outright at the end of the rally and achieved an unhoped-for second place, quite a feat given the work remaining to complete the Evo 2's development.
C201 was then extensively tested by Jean-Pierre Jabouille on the Michelin track at Ladoux, to bring about some much needed improvements! Next, it left for Greece, before the Acropolis Rally, for Saby to test it on poor gravel. Finally, it went to Finland, to be tested on good-quality fast surfaces. In December 1985, C201 was sent to Italy, for the Bettega Memorial held in Bologna in honour of the Lancia driver. Up against the new S4, the T16 Evo 2 driven by Salonen won the final, much to the dismay of the 50,000 tifosi present! Still registered 24 FGV 75, C201 showed up on the snow during the recces for the 1986 Monte-Carlo Rally. It is easy to imagine that at the time the recces were driven at quite a lick ...
The number 24 FGV 75 turned up again on the 1986 Monte on Salonen's T16, which finished second. The PTS archives indicate that the Evo 2 C206 was assigned to him ... C201 was considered somewhat worn-out and it was only natural for the team's star driver to be allocated a new car! The use of the same registration document for different cars was common practice by all the teams at the time, including Peugeot, Renault and Lancia.
C201 then went into early retirement in the PTS facility at Boulogne. The registration 24 FGV 75 was no longer seen on the cars Peugeot entered in the WRC, so it is fair to assume that the registration document reverted to C201 after its time with C206 on the Monte.
In 1986, Peugeot was once again World Rally Champion. But Group B was banned at the end of the year, following the accidents in Portugal and the deaths of Toivonen and Cresto in a Lancia S4 on the Tour de Corse. For the former stars of Group B, the only options were long-distance rallies like the Dakar or rallycross.
One Evolution 2 was sold in 1987 to Peugeot Finland, for the use of Matti Alamäki in the European rallycross championship. There is a very high likelihood, according to witnesses at the time, that this car was C201, aka "Granny". A previous winner of the championship, Alamäki competed in the 1987 season with an S4 but lost the title to another Finnish driver, Seppo Niitymäki, in a T16. He therefore turned to Sochaux, and with Peugeot Finland's T16 repainted in red, he won the European title three years in a row, in 1988, 1989 and 1990, despite competition from several other former Group B cars, such as the Audi Quattro Sport, Lancia S4 and Maxi Turbo. In the meantime, he had bought the T16 from Peugeot Finland, its French registration document as 24 FGV 75 still in Peugeot's name, probably to avoid customs duties.

THE LOHEAC YEARS

At the end of the 1980s, Michel Hommell asked his friend Olivier Quesnel to source some Group B cars for the museum at Lohéac in Brittany. Formerly responsible for promoting PTS, Quesnel was very familiar with the world of rallying and everyone in it. The T16 Evo 2 belonging to the Peugeot dealer group with which Fréquelin and Wambergue had won the French rallycross championship in 1988 and 1989 was available, and was destined for the museum. But PTS needed the car for shows and as a spare car for the Race of Champions organised by Michèle Mouton, as the letter from Nicolas in November 1989 states. PTS therefore sent two mechanics to pick up the car from Oreca, near the Paul Ricard track. They stopped at a restaurant in the Bouches-du-Rhône, and when they came out, their Peugeot estate, trailer and T16 had disappeared! They were never recovered.
Quesnel therefore set about looking for another genuine T16 Evo 2 and negotiated with Alamäki to buy for Michel Hommell the rallycross-winning car. The negotiation lasted a year and the car was collected from the French border. It was then sent to PTS to be fully restored and returned to its 1986 WRC spec. Quesnel confirmed to us that it is C201 and that it was therefore fitted out in the colours and with the bucket seats used by Saby and Fauchille on the 1985 Tour de Corse. During the restoration, the production number was painted over, as the interior of the museum's T16 was completely resprayed.
This T16 Evo 2 is now in remarkable condition, complete and fitted only with parts supplied directly by PTS. It looks magnificent in its works livery. Since the car's rebuild at the start of the 1990s, it is as if it has been frozen in time. It will therefore need to be fully overhauled, as it has been jealously preserved in the museum and has not been driven for several decades.
In our view, it is the best-looking Group B car. It is fitted with power steering and features the final changes made to the model. Only 20 Evo 2s were built, many of which have been destroyed. This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire the Holy Grail of Group B cars, the best T16 according to Saby and Nicolas and a car that is fundamentally different from the Evo 1, thanks to de Cortanze's work.
To crown it all, the T16 from Lohéac can boast a remarkable tally of results: second on the Tour de Corse with Saby, the winner of the Bettega Memorial with Salonen and three times European rallycross champion with Alamäki.
https://www.artcurial.com/en/lot-198...ution-2-4058-7

[dimviii]

if you dont fancy the 205 dont worry.
You can choose a δS4 for same amount of money.




Chassis no. 227

- Rare authentic works Group B car
- Competed in Lancia Martini racing colours with Biasion in 1986
- Well-documented history, in current ownership since 1988
- Ex-Bruno Saby, one of the top rally drivers in the 1980s

At the start of Group B, Lancia entered the World Rally Championship with its light and capable 037. But its traditional rear-wheel drive layout had its limitations when compared with competitors such as the Audi Quattro and Peugeot 205 T16, whose four-wheel drive worked wonders.
In order for Lancia to regain its place at the top of the rankings, Cesare Fiorio and Claudio Lombardi decided to start from a blank sheet of paper and created the Delta S4. They wanted to keep its weight under 900 kg and therefore limited the engine capacity to 1759 cc, to comply with the restrictions imposed in the regulations. They developed a new all-aluminium 16-valve engine, which they wanted to match or beat the 450 bhp developed by the Peugeot. To offset the drawbacks of the turbo (lack of power at low revs and delayed response), Lombardi had the original idea of combining a turbo and a mechanical supercharger, the Volumex, resulting in an engine that was both powerful and flexible. Four-wheel drive was essential, and the Ferguson viscous coupling allowed the torque split to be varied from 40/60 front/rear to 100% to the rear. The engine was mounted lengthwise ahead of the rear axle in a tubular chassis strengthened with Kevlar and carbon panels, covered with a fibreglass body styled on the lines of the production Delta.

Planned to enter the rally championship in the middle of the 1985 season, the Lancia Delta S4 finally made its first official appearance in November, on the RAC Rally. It immediately proved its qualities, finishing first and second in the hands of Henri Toivonen and Markku Alen. The following year, the title was a close fight with Peugeot and at the end of the season Lancia was ahead, but the FIA annulled the results of the San Remo Rally, handing victory to Peugeot. Meanwhile, Henri Toivonen was involved in a tragic accident on the Tour de Corse, heralding the end of Group B. It would be reasonable to assume that the experience Lancia gained with the S4 helped it greatly in developing the Delta HF Integrale, which would dominate the world of rallying from 1987 to 1992.

The car for sale

The works Lancia Delta S4 presented here left Abarth's competition department in 1986 in Group B configuration. In the Lancia Martini colours and registered TO 52127 F, its career got off to a flying start in December 1986, when it finished second in the 'Memorial Bettega', as an official entry driven by Miki Biasion with the racing number 2. Markku Alen was at the wheel of the winning car: chassis number 228, registered TO 52126 F.
With the cancellation of Group B, the cars came to an abrupt standstill, and the manufacturers and drivers turned to other branches of motorsport for which the cars were eligible. This car could thus be seen again in 1987 during the 24 Heures de Chamonix ice race, when Biasion and Saby took turns behind the wheel. The Group B cars were also accepted in another discipline, that of rallycross. These events took place on closed tracks, ensuring a greater degree of safety than rallying. This was the direction taken by this Delta S4, thanks to Saby.

But let's go back a bit: in 1985 and 1986, Saby was driving for Peugeot and when Group B came to an end, Peugeot invited him to take part in the Paris-Dakar with the 205 Turbo 16. "I turned down their offer as I didn't feel ready for that kind of long-distance rally", Saby told us. "And, above all, my dream was to win the Monte-Carlo Rally." He entered the 'Monte' in 1987 with Lancia Martini, which was fielding the Group A Delta HF 4x4s, but had to retire due to transmission failure when he was among the leaders. He was in luck in January 1988, when he finally fulfilled his dream and won the famous rally.
"After Group B, the manufacturers scaled back their programmes, and in 1988 I therefore had the idea of taking part in the French Rallycross Championship and setting up my own team, Grenoble Sport Auto. Lancia helped me, as did the Hommell Group, which was the instigator of rallycross in France. And with Cesare Fiorio's agreement, we were able to pick up an official Group B Lancia." It was number 227. According to Olivier Quesnel, who was running the Hommell Group at the time, "it was intended to go to one of Fiat's directors, but he agreed to sell it to us, as he believed cars were meant to be used."

Prepared by Grenoble Sport Auto for this new discipline with official support from Lancia, it sported the colours of 'Métal 5' and embarked on a fiercely contested season, as Quesnel recalls: "We had one hell of a fight with Peugeot that year. Going into the final round, our teams had five wins each." Saby continues the story: "Throughout the season, I had been battling against Guy Fréquelin, an old friend and rival, who had a 205 T16. The last round was held at Trappes and we had five wins each, so this last race would be decisive. In rallycross, starting in the lead is essential, as afterwards it's impossible to overtake. Well, the 205 had an extremely powerful Pikes Peak engine and Guy went into the first corner ahead of me. We were bumper to bumper throughout the race and he crossed the finish line half a bonnet's length in front of me. That was a season we'll always remember!"

After this memorable year, the car was bought by Michel Hommell and headed for the museum. "We were in the process of establishing the Group B collection", Quesnel confirms. "The car was restored to its original Lancia Martini livery and immediately took its place in the museum."

Today, it is in exceptional original condition, with an equally remarkable history. A works car from the start, in the legendary Martini colours, it was driven by one of the top rally drivers of its time, with support from Turin. Immediately after this, it became part of an exhibition, where its integrity has been preserved. Of all these exceptional cars, it is undoubtedly one of the most authentic works Delta S4s to survive.


"One of its strengths was its engine"

The Lancia Delta S4 was one of the most outstanding cars in Group B. For Bruno Saby, "It was a very well-balanced car for the whole season. One of its strengths was its engine. Thanks to the combination of the turbo and the Volumex supercharger, we had power across the rev range. The Group B cars were exceptional, and I was enormously lucky to have known them. It's always an emotional moment when I see them at Lohéac and get behind the wheel of my S4 for a few laps of the track."
Markku Alen, a loyal Lancia driver, knows the S4 well: "The 037's rear-wheel drive was always a handicap. You couldn't really win on snow or gravel. We arrived very late with the S4, but I quickly got used to it."
Roberto Vittone, a former Lancia engineer, adds: "The S4 was fantastic, but we only had it for a year. It started out with 430 bhp and was close to 500 bhp at San Remo, but we didn't have enough time to develop it. We could have gone further and maybe got another 30% from it."
(Comments taken from interviews in Classic & Sports Car)

https://www.artcurial.com/en/lot-198...8#popin-active

[dimviii]

Unregistered
Châssis n°ZLA151AR0*00000412 (voir texte)

- Group B pioneer, 1983 World Title model
- Evo 2 factory specification
- Remarkably well-conserved condition
- Legendary machine

A pioneer in Group B, the Lancia 037 was atypical being a simple rear-wheel drive with a design emphasising low weight and handling, as Cesare Fiorio had wanted. In fact, the 037 was an evolution of the Beta Monte-Carlo endurance car, used during 1980 - 1981 to test both mechanical and turbo supercharging solutions.
First presented in October 1981, the car had a monocoque structure with tubular sub-frames at front and back, and was equipped with the Fiat 131 Abarth's 16-valve 4-cylinder engine positioned longitudinally and fitted with a mechanically-controlled Abarth compressor. Light and compact, the Lancia 037 was the first real Group B car and made its entrance during the 1982 season, as the 200 examples required for homologation were ready by April 1982. After an initial outing in April in the Costa Esmerelda Rally in Sardinia, the first evolution arrived in time for the Madeira Rally, with Bosch injection replacing the single Weber carburettor and a water injection system added. The best results came at the end of the season with Markku Alen finishing fourth in the RAC Rally, the first of the Group B cars.
The 1982 title went to Audi but, with the 'running-in' season completed, Lancia was well-prepared for 1983. Which was demonstrated from the off, with the two 037s driven by Walter Röhrl and Markku Alen finishing 1st and 2nd in the Monte-Carlo Rally. The Italian team then came in behind Audi in Portugal, but were in control again for the Tour de Corse with a top three finish, followed by a one-two in Greece and a victory in New Zealand. Audi started to catch up towards the end of the season when Lancia struck the final blow with a top-three finish at San Remo : the World Title was back in their hands!

The outlook wasn't so good for 1984 : Walter Röhrl left for Audi to drive the highly developed Quattro Sport, and the Peugeots were gaining in power. Despite an increased engine size of 2 111cc, the two-wheel drive of the 037s struggled against machines with four-wheel drive, particularly on loose surfaces. This didn't stop the 037s valiantly defending themselves, and there was a particularly impressive 1-2 result in the Tour de Corse and several other podium finishes. Cesare Fiorio, needing to respond, began preparing the Delta S4, but although this new machine appeared at the end of 1984, it wasn't homologated until the end of 1985. Although the 037 handled brilliantly, it couldn't match its competitors and the best result during 1985 was Mikki Biasion's second place in the Portuguese Rally.
In any event, this model has left Markku Alen with some wonderful memories, which he recalled recently in Classic & Sports Car : " I don't know if it's the best car that I've driven, but it was my favourite. It was also the only one I didn't roll…I loved the 037, but only having two-wheel drive put us at a disadvantage off road. On the tarmac it was unbeatable. I won the Tour de Corse in 1983 and 1984 in an 037, and I was very proud of these results."
As one of the first Group B cars to appear, the Lancia 037 had time to distinguish itself beyond the World Rally Championship, in national and European championships driven by such talented drivers as Andruet, Darniche, Capone, Tabaton and Clarr, as well as those mentioned above. It left a lasting impression in this memorable era of rallying.

The car in the sale

The Lancia 037 in the collection is in Evo 2 configuration, built to Abarth factory Group B specification for 1983 - 1986. Olivier Quesnel recalls:
"When we set up the collection, I wanted to include an 037. I mentioned this to Bruno Saby, who told me that there was one at Volta, the Italian preparer. We were able to get hold of it in 1990. I am of the opinion that it ran first in "Lancia Martini" colours, then in the "Olio Fiat" livery with Fabrizio Tabaton."
One must remain cautious about the history and particular races the car took part in in period. For, as we have seen with other marques, it was common for large teams to have one registration document for several cars, to allow for the constraints of time, geography and availability. One registration document could be associated with several cars and histories, and as we have seen on other 037 Evo 2s, it appears that the section of the bulkhead with the chassis number stamped on has been cut away and re-welded, so we are not able to verify the car's identity with certainty.
These elements are an illustration of the different era this car comes from. What is worth noting is how rare it is to come across an 037 Evo 2 that has been in the hands of one careful owner since 1990, when it was acquired directly from Volta.
Having been conserved vigilantly at the museum for the last three decades, this car is presented in incredibly well-conserved condition, with its 4-cylinder water injection engine and mechanically-controlled Abarth supercharger. It was re-done in "Martini" livery by Volta. We were able to listen to the engine started up but the car will require a full re-commission before it can be driven. Here is a rare opportunity to acquire a Group B pioneer, one of few cars to have performed brilliantly in this class with two-wheel drive, thanks to its low weight and superb handling. The 037 won the World Rally Championship for Lancia in 1983, and was the Italian marque's only Group B car to do so. A genuine icon from this legendary category.


https://www.artcurial.com/en/lot-198...ia-037-4058-12

[NickRally]

All of them, I would say!

[Rally Power]

Btw, besides Autohebdo and many other publications, Michel Hommell was also the founder of Echappement magazine; in the 90's he asked Echappement readers to define the general layout of a new French sports car, eventually produced (and even Rally used) in small numbers under the 'Hommell Berlinette' name. Despite Hommell Group current financial worries, the car museum (next to Loheac's WRX circuit, also developed by Mr. Hommell) is expected to reopen after the pandemic. https://www.manoir-automobile.fr/home/

[NickRally]

Btw, besides Autohebdo and many other publications, Michel Hommell was also the founder of Echappement magazine; in the 90's he asked Echappement readers to define the general layout of a new French sports car, eventually produced (and even Rally used) in small numbers under the 'Hommell Berlinette' name. Despite Hommell Group current financial worries, the car museum (next to Loheac's WRX circuit, also developed by Mr. Hommell) is expected to reopen after the pandemic. https://www.manoir-automobile.fr/home/

Now on my list of places to visit one day, cheers Rally Power!

[dimviii]

Unregistered
Chassis no. PT 8220E 00001

- The most powerful 2WD Group B car
- Ex-Carlos Sainz
- The ultimate R5 Turbo
- Superbly preserved

The Renault 5 Turbo came about thanks to Jean Terramorsi, the deputy head of product management for Renault responsible for limited-production models. In 1977, he conceived a sporting version of the company's star, the little Renault 5, but simply improving its handling or power output - as with the R5 Alpine - was not enough. Terramorsi felt he needed to turn it into a true rally car, using Renault's key technology: the turbocharger.
With its mid-mounted turbocharged engine, strengthened chassis and special suspension, its steel, polyester and aluminium body and its spectacular rear, far wider than the front, the R5 Turbo, presented to the press in 1978, was the subject of great passion. The first version (Group 4) in 1980 won the Monte-Carlo Rally and the Tour de Corse. Just 20 examples of the next version, logically named the "Tour de Corse" (TDC), were built for the 1983 season, in accordance with the new regulations for Group B, which replaced Group 4.
It soon became clear, however, that the car was outclassed by its rivals and a radical re-think was called for. Patrick Landon (head of Renault Sport's rally department) received the whole-hearted backing of Gérard Larrousse, the managing director of Renault Sport. A four-wheel drive model, like the Audi Quattro or forthcoming Peugeot T16, was a possibility, but the Group B regulations required that a series of 200 cars be made available through the dealer network in order for 20 cars to be built for competition! It was inconceivable, given the budget allocated by Renault.
The difficulty of the TDC was that the rear wheels were too small. To fit larger wheels, Renault had to increase the engine capacity from 1397 to 1527cc, with the help of a crankshaft with a 5mm longer stroke, and a 1mm larger bore. With the multiplication factor for turbo engines, this let it exceed the limit for the 2-litre class. A series of 200 R5 Turbo 2s was offered to customers with a larger engine, the type 8221 instead of the 8220 of the R5 Turbo. It should be noted that this limited run of Turbo 2s had an aluminium roof, as on the R5 Turbo "1".
But the changes did not stop with the engine: the future Maxi 5 was a complete reworking of the TDC: the front and rear wishbones, hub carriers, anti-roll bars and shock absorbers were all different. The gearbox had a magnesium sump and the car's unique bodyshell was strengthened. The brakes were initially identical to the TDC but the diameter was later increased to 299mm. François Bernard was responsible for the chassis and Philippe Coblence for the engine. Coblence drew on Renault's research in F1 into fuel-injection, the ignition system, turbocharging and the air-to-water intercooler made by SECAN, a subsidiary of Chausson.
In particular, the injection of water into the intake manifold reduced the temperature of the air by 10°. The large SECAN intercooler specific to the model was relocated from the left rear wing to above the gearbox. The turbo meanwhile was moved to the right in the wing, with a special mechanism to limit the intense heat produced, and the exhaust was routed ahead of the right rear wheel, to reduce the heat generated in the engine bay. The engine now produced 350bhp at 6500rpm, with very high maximum torque of 311lb·ft, 72lb·ft more than the TDC!
For homologation reasons, 20 Maxis were assembled, but thanks to the valuable information provided by Patrick Landon, it can be stated that when the 20 cars were presented to the FFSA, ten were assembled "dry", with no fluids, and were stripped down immediately afterwards. Only ten cars were in running order and were sold with a certificate enabling them to be registered (Archives of P. Landon):

Series no. 701: registered 7499 YA 91, works car in Philips colours, sold to Dominique de Meyer in 1986
Series no. 702: registered 9489 YB 91, works car in Philips colours, won the Tour de Corse in 1985
Series no. 703: registered 5555 SP 30, sold to the Gard Departmental Council for Philippe Touren
Series no. 704: registered VA 4650 M (SP), supplied to FASA Spain for Carlos Sainz
Series no. 705: registered 27 FJE 75, supplied to DIAC Renault for François Chatriot
Series no. 706: registered 194 FGL 75, supplied to Renault Compiègne for François Chatriot
Series no. 708: registered 367 YC 91, works car in Philips colours, sold to Pascal Thomasse in 1986 with the identification plates of no. 701
Series no. 709: registered 40840 (AND), sold to Gérard De la Casa in Andorra
Series no. 710: registered 4838 TE 14, sold to Gérard Paquet
Series no. 712: registered 21 RG 28, sold to Renault Chartres for Didier Auriol
711 was a kit kept by Landon's team, 713 was a kit sold to Renault Chartres and 707 was a kit supplied to either FASA or DIAC.

The semi-official teams, such as Renault Chartres, DIAC or FASA Renault Spain in effect received a complete car which could be registered and a second as a kit ... Renault Chartres thus competed with two cars with the same registration number for Didier Auriol: one (712) sponsored by 33 Export, the other (713) by Philips. For Renault's DIAC subsidiary, which specialised in car finance, François Chatriot's first car (706) caught fire on the Rallye des Garrigues in 1985. It was immediately replaced in competition by 705, then completely rebuilt using the spare bodyshell. Renault Classic still owns four Maxis, including the real DIAC car (705), which has never left its reserve collection, and two "Philips" cars, one of which has the registration papers of 702.
It should not be forgotten that half the Maxis were stripped down for parts! The numerous bodyshells and mechanical components available during the Maxis' time in competition meant they could be rebuilt from standard R5 Turbo bodies, Maxi bodies damaged in accidents or even from new Maxi bodyshells still available when Group B came to an end. It is important therefore to be able to trace the history of these legendary cars, which symbolise the wild years of Group B. We will look now at the history of Carlos Sainz' cars, including the very fine example from Lohéac.