Tag Archives: 1987

Group A Peugeot 309 GTi

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1987 Peugeot 309 GTi 16V Group A

Offered by Iconic Auctioneers | Stoneleigh Park, U.K. | February 2024

Photo – Iconic Auctioneers

The 309 was a boxy, boring small three- or five-door hatchback sold by Peugeot between 1985 and 1994. The French have a long history of making the most of boring cars, and Peugeot did that here, selling a GTi version, which was a hot-ish hatch.

The road car shared its powertrain with the 205 GTi, one of France’s best hot hatches. It had a 1.9-liter inline-four making 158 horsepower. Not bad. This car was built in 1988 as a Group A rally car for the British Rally Championship. Peugeot then ran the car themselves for 1989 and 1990.

Come 1991, the Peugeot team boss wanted to showcase a young driver, future WRC champion Richard Burns, and entered him in the WRC RAC Rally, where he and his co-driver finished 16th as the top two-wheel-drive car.

The car remained in storage with Peugeot until 1998, at which point it was sold to a privateer. Burns found out about the car and acquired it for his own collection. Now it’s being sold from said collection with an estimate of $88,000-$100,000. More info can be found here.

Reliant Scimitar SS1

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1987 Reliant Scimitar SS1

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | March 25, 2023

Photo – Brightwells

The Reliant Scimitar debuted in 1964 and was restyled multiple times and produced across various generations through 1986 (and then by Middlebridge through 1990). Most of those were shooting brakes.

The Scimitar SS1 was a mostly unrelated two-seat sports car styled by Giovanni Michelotti and produced from 1984 through 1990 before being renamed the Scimitar SST and later the Scimitar Sabre.

Various engines were offered, and this car has a 1.6-liter Ford inline-four that was rated at 96 horsepower. The car also had pop-up headlamps, independent suspension, and a composite body. Including the successor models, just over 1,500 of these were made. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $3,708.

Citroen BX 4TC

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1987 Citroen BX 4TC

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | March 27, 2023

Photo – Osenat

There are some really cool cars in Osenat’s lineup for this auction. The one we were most excited about is terribly photographed, so we can’t feature it. Instead, we bring you this. The BX was Citroen’s large family car from 1982 through 1994.

They took the BX rallying in Group B, and to do so required homologating it for road use. So they developed the 4TC, which was a much more extreme version of the ho-hum BX sedan. Ultimately, the BX Group B car was not very good. Citroen sold less than 100 road versions.

Power is provided by a turbocharged 2.1-liter inline-four that made just under 200 horsepower. It’s for four-wheel drive, a five-speed manual gearbox from the Citroen SM, and a hydropneumatic suspension. Osenat notes that only 38 of these cars are known to exist. This one has an estimate of $75,000-$85,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $86,508.

Testarossa

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1987 Ferrari Testarossa

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 14, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Testarossa was the successor to the 512 BBi, and it was a pretty big step forward into the 1980s when it launched in 1984. It was also the most mass-produced Ferrari when it went out of production in 1996 (including the more limited 512 TR and F512 M variants). Over 9,900 were made all together.

It’s also one of the more iconic and instantly recognizable Ferraris. Synonymous with the ’80s, the cars are powered by a 4.9-liter flat-12 that made 380 horsepower in U.S.-spec trim. Early “monospecchio” cars are a little more outlandish with their single top-mounted rearview mirror. This ’87 model has more traditional mirrors on both sides.

It’s hard to beat a red Ferrari with enormous side strakes. This one has 30,000 miles, a recent belt service, and a Tubi Style exhaust. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $176,000.

DAM/TPR 4100

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1987 DAM 4100

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Online | November 13-14, 2020

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Group B rallying was one of the best classes of motorsport since… well, since motorsports. In the 1980s, there were some outrageous rally cars, and one such example was the MG Metro 6R4. Badged as a derivative of the frumpy Austin/MG Metro front-wheel-drive hatchback, the 6R4 was a rear-mid-engined four-wheel-drive monster powered by a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6 capable of over 400 horsepower.

There were 220 examples of the 6R4 built, 20 of which were high-level competition cars. The other 200 were Clubman cars, which were sold to the public. Many of them ended up in the hands of privateer rally drivers. So what is this car then?

Well, Tony Pond was a works Austin-Rover rally driver. One of the team engineers was a man named David Appleby. When Austin-Rover (MG) pulled out of rallying in 1987, Pond and Appleby set up shop updating Clubman cars. Thus, the DAM/TPR 4100 was born.

This is the prototype. Pond and Appleby parted ways shortly after this car was built, but Appleby soldiered on without Pond and ended up producing 5-10 examples. Power is from a Cosworth-derived 2.5-liter V6 rated at 295 horsepower at an impressive 10,250 rpm. It’s got four-wheel drive, too.

This is like a cottage industry British supercar from the 90s (even though it was built in the late 1980s). It’s a car that never appears at public sales (or in public generally). The estimated price reflects it. The estimate is $190,000-$215,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold. Silverstone actually says sold for an “undisclosed amount,” which is about the sketchiest thing I’ve ever seen on an online auction.

Update II: Sold, Silverstone Auctions, March 2021, $124,501.

Renault 5 Turbo Touring Car

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1987 Renault 5 Turbo Supertouring

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Online | November 14, 2020

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The Renault 5 Turbo was the coolest hot hatch of the 1980s. The rally car variants are legendary. But I don’t think I’ve seen an R5 Turbo that I’ve wanted more than this one. It was built as a touring car for the French Supertouring Championship, which was a series that existed between 1976 and 2005.

Only six R5 Turbos were converted to this spec in 1986. Half of those were updated in 1987 (including this car) with a wider track, a lowered suspension, and a revised 1.4-liter stroker version of the turbocharged inline-four. Output was 410 horsepower. The other two updated versions have been retained by Renault.

This car had two race wins during the 1987 season, and it was also the championship-winning car. It was sold after the season to a hillclimb driver who managed to finagle factory support for his privateer effort. It broke after it was “out of warranty,” so he refinished it in its Supertourisme livery and lent it to the Prince of Monaco for display in his collection. It’s since been refreshed and now carries a pre-sale estimate of $390,000-$450,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Quantum Convertible

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1987 Quantum 2+2 Convertible

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 15, 2019

Photo – Brightwells

Quantum Sports Cars was founded in 1987 by Mark and Harvey Wooldridge. Almost all of their cars have been based around different variations of the Ford Fiesta. This car, the 2+2 Convertible was introduced in 1993 and is based on the Fiesta Mk 2.

It is powered by a 96 horsepower, 1.6-liter inline-four and features fiberglass bodywork and a cloth soft top. The car has a somewhat Geo-like appearance, but maybe that’s because the wheels appear to be about 5″ in diameter. The tacked-on fender flares are doing it no favors either.

They built 431 of these, and this one was no kit – it was factory-assembled. The 1987 model year denotes the donor Fiesta, which, fun fact, is listed as “damaged/stolen” in the UK. It is being offered at no reserve. You can see more from Brightwells here.

Update: Sold $1,678.

Soviet Microcars

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Three Soviet Microcars

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | September 26, 2018

1969 ZAZ-965A

Photo – Brightwells

The Zaporizhia Automobile Plant in Ukraine has been producing cars under the ZAZ brand since 1960. They’ve also built cars from other manufacturers for local sale and built some heavy trucks and buses as well.

Zaporozhets were a series of microcars produced between 1960 and 1994, with the ZAZ-965 built in two series between 1960 and 1969. This car is listed in the catalog as a 1969 965. But the 1969 model was actually the ZAZ-965A. It’s powered by a rear-mounted 887cc V-4 capable of 27 horsepower.

When production ended in 1969, 322,116 examples of all types had been built. This car was imported to the U.K. from Lithuania and is all-original. You can read more here.

Update: Sold $475.

1987 SMZ S-3d

Photo – Brightwells

The SMZ was a microcar built in Russia and between 1970 and 1997 they built a car called the S-3d – this. Based on the ZAZ 695, it features a 346cc single-cylinder engine from an earlier model. Designed as a car for invalids, this car was technically classified as a motorcycle in Russia.

They built 223,051 of these – quite a lot – but they still aren’t that common. This original example was imported into the U.K. from Lithuania in 2016 and will sell at no reserve. Click here for more from Brightwells.

Update: Sold $719.

1967 ZAZ-968A

Photo – Brightwells

Here’s another Lithuanian import into the U.K. from the same collection. It’s another Zaporozhets, but slightly larger than the ZAZ-965. The “second generation” of these cars were introduced in 1966 as the ZAZ-966. It would evolve into the ZAZ-968 in 1971 and this model would last through 1980, while the later 968M would last through 1994.

Power here is from a 1.2-liter V4 capable of 30 horsepower. The 968A was actually built between 1973 and 1980 and had some safety improvements, like a plastic dashboard instead of a metal one designed for maximum carnage. This one is also no reserve. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $719.

Fleur De Lys Minibus

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1987 Fleur De Lys Newark Minibus

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 16, 2018

Photo – Brightwells

Neo-classics are a subset of the automotive world and are generally old-timey-looking cars on relatively modern chassis. Basically companies would take a big Lincoln or something, rip the body off of it, and build a new body that looks like a car from the 1930s.

And this is the bus or van version, apparently. Fleur De Lys Automobiles was founded in 1983 to build old-looking delivery vehicles with modern reliability. Mechanicals were lifted from period Fords for ease of repair and reliability’s sake. This Newark Minibus is powered by a 2.0-liter straight-four and has a four-speed manual transmission.

Instead of being a simple delivery van, it actually has seats in the back. In total, it seats nine and has an entertainment system. It would make a good party bus and should cost its new owner between $22,000-$25,000. Click here for more from Brightwells.

Update: Not sold.

Neo-Classic Vans

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Neo-Classic Vans

1987 Fleur De Lys Newark Minibus

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 16, 2018

Photo – Brightwells

Neo-classics are a subset of the automotive world and are generally old-timey-looking cars on relatively modern chassis. Basically companies would take a big Lincoln or something, rip the body off of it, and build a new body that looks like a car from the 1930s.

And this is the bus or van version, apparently. Fleur De Lys Automobiles was founded in 1983 to build old-looking delivery vehicles with modern reliability. Mechanicals were lifted from period Fords for ease of repair and reliability’s sake. This Newark Minibus is powered by a 2.0-liter straight-four and has a four-speed manual transmission.

Instead of being a simple delivery van, it actually has seats in the back. In total, it seats nine and has an entertainment system. It would make a good party bus and should cost its new owner between $22,000-$25,000. Click here for more from Brightwells.

Update: Not sold.

1993 Asquith Shetland

Offered by Mecum | Denver, Colorado | June 8-9, 2018

Photo – Mecum

Here’s another neo-classic style delivery van. The Asquith Motor Company Ltd. was founded in Braintree, England in 1981 (the 80s were a popular time for this type of thing).

This Shetland is a retro delivery vehicle that was exported to the U.S. as a kit and assembled stateside. It’s powered by a 1.0-liter Suzuki engine and has a 5-speed transmission. The paint is very nice and it’s only covered 875 miles. If you have a small business, this is a great promotional vehicle. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Denver.

Update: Sold $13,200.