A trio of significant rally cars have joined Bonhams’ Monaco sale on 24 April, bringing together Group B-era Audi quattros and a Group 4-era Lancia Stratos.
The most significant of the trio is a 1983 Audi quattro A2 Group B works car, chassis R38. Campaigned by Hannu Mikkola during his 1983 title-winning campaign, R38 represents the quattro at a critical stage in its development. Introduced as the updated A2 specification, it featured a revised 2.1-litre five-cylinder engine with output approaching 370bhp, alongside extensive weight-saving measures including composite panels and Kevlar components. These changes were key in refining the quattro formula, before the introduction of the far more radical Sport quattro at the end of 1985.
The car made its debut on the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally, where Mikkola and co-driver Arne Hertz finished fourth overall, despite taking stage wins. It achieved its most significant result on the Rally of Portugal, securing outright victory with 10 stage wins against strong opposition from Lancia and fellow Audi entries.
Later in the season, R38 returned in A2 form for the Acropolis Rally, where it again demonstrated its pace, winning multiple stages and leading the event before retiring with engine failure. It subsequently appeared on the 1000 Lakes Rally, finishing seventh overall in the hands of Lasse Lampi. Across the season, the car contributed 30 points to Mikkola’s championship total.
Beyond its World Championship career, R38 continued in competition through rallycross and other disciplines into the 1990s before passing into long-term private ownership. It has since been restored by VMS Compétition, returning it to its 1983 Rally of Portugal configuration while retaining evidence of its period use. The car is estimated at €900,000-1,200,000.
Also offered is a 1983 Audi quattro A1 Group B, known as ‘Belga 2’, driven by Marc Duez. It achieved immediate success, taking overall victory on the Boucles de Spa before dominating the Lotto Haspengouw Rally, where it won 26 of 32 stages. Finished in its distinctive Belga livery and freshly restored, it carries an estimate of €350,000-500,000.
Completing the rally group is a 1976 Lancia Stratos Group 4, chassis 1754, an original works-style car that competed between 1976 and 1982 under the Jolly Club banner. It appeared on events including the Monte Carlo and San Remo rallies and is now presented in the livery of Jean-Claude Andruet. It’s estimated at €700,000-900,000.
Beyond the rally cars, the sale is headed by a 1958 Lotus 16 Formula 1 car, notable as the first single-seater raced by Graham Hill. One of the last front-engined Formula 1 designs to score World Championship points, it is offered with an estimate of €450,000-600,000.
Further highlights include a group of 1990s DTM touring cars, among them an Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI, Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 and BMW M3 E30, alongside modern hypercars such as a Ferrari 812 Competizione Aperta and Lamborghini Sián, as well as a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster.
To view the full catalogue, visit cars.bonhams.com
