Skip advert
Advertisement

Ex-Vatanen Subaru Legacy Group A to be auctioned at Race Retro

Built for the 1993 season, this Legacy's rallying history is short – but its significance is much greater

The Subaru WRX STi might have had its final breath on UK roads but love for the the brand lives on, and that’s almost all down to the company’s vast success in rallying.

That success started not with the Impreza most of us remember fondly, but with its larger predecessor on the stages, the Legacy. And one of the best is coming up for sale at this year’s Race Retro show, through Silverstone Auctions.

Advertisement - Article continues below

> The anatomy of a Group B rally car

The car crossing the block is a 1993 Legacy, that year being the Legacy rally car's last before Subaru switched to the smaller, nimbler Impreza. Wearing the familiar 555 livery (and the equally familiar numberplate format from that era, in this case K555 BAT) this particular car was campaigned by Ari Vatanen in the 1993 Acropolis rally.

Unfortunately, it failed to see out the rest of the season as a works car, when Vatanen crashed out on stage 21, while leading the rally. The car was subsequently re-shelled by Prodrive before being sold to Italian rally squad, Procar. During this time, the car was briefly driven by Richard Burns in 1995, but it never again saw official WRC duty.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

In 2000 the car returned to the UK to be used in the IRC series, but in 2001 it was re-shelled again – as a Safari-spec Impreza. It was only after 2008, when the car was acquired by the Richard Burns Collection, that it was returned to authentic, Prodrive spec, overseen by former Prodrive engineer Ian Richardson.

Even in the pictures, it’s a stunning bit of kit, looking as if it’s just rolled fresh from Prodrive’s workshops. The Legacy’s rallying development began in 1989 and early cars produced 290bhp and 289lb ft of torque from their turbocharged 1994cc flat-fours. Drive was sent (naturally) to all four wheels through an X-trac manual gearbox, a viscous centre differential and front and rear limited-slip diffs.

During its competitive period the Legacy started what the Impreza eventually finished, taking a WRC victory at New Zealand in 1993 – at the hands of Colin McRae. The young Scot had already demonstrated the platform’s abilities by winning the 1991 British Rally Championship in a Legacy, with four victories along the way.

There’s no doubt that the Impreza made an even greater impact on the rallying world, but it might not have been quite the machine it was were it not for Prodrive’s experience with the Legacy, and with an estimate of £120,000-£140,000 (before the buyer’s premium) you might even call this historic example a bargain.

You can see the full list of competition cars coming up for auction at Race Retro on the Silverstone Auctions website.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

The most expensive cars ever sold at auction
Ten most expensive cars
Best cars

The most expensive cars ever sold at auction

Beyond a certain level of value, some cars transcend being simple machines and become an asset class all of their own. These are the cars that sit alo…
6 Feb 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

TVR: Why we think it’s all over
TVR Griffith
Opinion

TVR: Why we think it’s all over

There’s barely a flicker of life when it comes to TVR and the ‘new’ Griffith. We can only fear the worst
17 Jul 2025
Ford Focus 2025 review – is Ford killing its best car?
Ford Focus – front
Reviews

Ford Focus 2025 review – is Ford killing its best car?

The Ford Focus goes out of production in November 2025. Will we miss the car itself, or just the name it wears?
18 Jul 2025
​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – affordable new performance cars
Best hot hatchbacks 2025
Best cars

​Best hot hatchbacks 2025 – affordable new performance cars

Contracted though the hot hatch market may be, there are still some great models out there, from the electric Alpine A290 to the five-cylinder Audi RS…
14 Jul 2025