Prodrive selling very first Subaru WRC car from 1997
Click above for a high-res gallery of Prodrive's first Impreza WRC car
Prodrive helped make its name – and a whole lot of World Rally Championship fans – with its race prepped, royal blue Subaru Impreza race cars. Now the very first one of them, piloted by no less than the power duo of the late Colin McRae and Nicky Grist, is for sale. Introduced at the Rallye Monte Carlo in 1997, the car is privately owned now and can be yours for £85,000 (about $123,000). While that's a lot for an old Subaru, something tells us that as the years roll by, this car will prove to be a very large bargain.
The 1997 RDH tarmac version of the Subie wears chassis number PRO-WRC-97-001, and now bears the registration number P18 WRC. It has been thoroughly rebuilt by Ireland's McKinstry Motorsport, since no matter how much you like Colin McRae, Pierro Liatti, and Kenneth Erikkson, you probably don't want to deal with the stressed-out pieces of a steed they have ridden hard. If you're interested, Prodrive has all the details, and the pics are below.
Gallery: First Prodrive Impreza WRC
[Source: Prodrive via Auto Fiends]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
xspeedy 8:40AM (2/24/2009)
If I was a little richer, I'd have it. Only problem is trying to fix anything on it will cost more than the car itself.
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dukeisduke 8:49AM (2/24/2009)
This car will only appreciate as the years go by. BTW, rest in peace, Colin.
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Alex 9:21AM (2/24/2009)
If i had the income for a car collection, this car would be prominently displayed in it.
This car and Colin McRae were the driving forces behind me becoming a junkie for WRC and Subaru.
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speedball3 11:51AM (2/24/2009)
I respectfully disagree, Sir. If I had the money for a car collection... I'd be like Ken Block and go rallying. =D
Shyam 9:28AM (2/24/2009)
this would be one of the first pieces i would try to get if i could build a car collection. what a find. love it.
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JDMlover 9:34AM (2/24/2009)
Sweet.
I always wanted to drive a rally car.
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Mino 9:37AM (2/24/2009)
such a sweet car, can't agree more with the stressed out chassis Colin drove that car like a mad man! RIP Colin
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Stumpy 9:37AM (2/24/2009)
I wish Subaru would bring back the 2 door WRX (22b). So hot.
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BoxerFanatic 11:19AM (2/24/2009)
AMEN.
Personally, I think they should bring the Impreza coupe bodystyle back, as their half of the Subaru/Toyota coupe project.
And I also think they should either offer that coupe with higher trim levels, or bring out a larger grand touring Legacy-based coupe as a new SVX, to undercut G37S/x and Audi A5, and BMW 3-series-x
Every time I see an SVX or an Impreza coupe, especially a 2.5RS, or pictures of a 22B or STI rally car coupe... I so badly want Subaru to revive small and large coupes on their existing chassis, both Impreza/Forester, and Legacy/Outback/Tribeca.
A 3-door coupe would make so much more sense than a 4-door Impreza sedan, which itself is very close to redundant with the 2.5i and GT Legacys.
3-door coupe and 5-door hatchback for Impreza, small Forester SUV
4-door sedan Legacy, full wagon Outback, and large CUV Tribeca.
3-door grand touring coupe special SVX revival based on Legacy sedan's chassis footprint. (or else, at least dress the impreza coupe well enough to pass as a small grand tour-able sport coupe, at least to the level of the WRX STI Limited, with a more sane price point closer to $30K than $40K.)
How is that such a bad plan?
The Subaru Coupe is dead, Long live the Subaru coupe. Bring on the future Subaru/Toyota coupe, with a Subie AWD turbo 6MT STI version, the spiritual successor to that Subaru WRC coupe.
Rocketboy 9:47AM (2/24/2009)
I'd be surprised if Subaru didn't pick this up themselves.
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Jason 10:42AM (2/24/2009)
I bet if they put this in an auction they would get a hell of a lot more than what they are asking.
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mike 11:41AM (2/24/2009)
The legacy was the first ralley car i thought
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cdwrx 12:03PM (2/24/2009)
It's too bad they restored it - unless of course it was thrashed subsequent to the end of its WRC career - rally cars are supposed to be "stressed out."
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subie 12:23PM (2/24/2009)
How is this the very first Subaru WRC car? This isn't even the very first Impreza WRC car. The very first Impreza WRC car was in 1993. Subaru won the constructor title from 1995-1997 with the Impreza WRC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWRT
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Rev 12:33PM (2/24/2009)
"Prodrive helped make its name – and a whole lot of World Rally Championship fans – with its race prepped, royal blue Subaru Impreza race cars. Now the very first one of them..."
What don't you understand? Prodrive is selling the very first WRC car they produced.
The Cliff Note version:
Prodrive made its name with rally cars. They're selling one of them. The first one.
subie 12:38PM (2/24/2009)
What I don't understand is that the "Very First One" developed by Prodrive was a Legacy in 1990. And the "Very First" WRC Impreza developed by Prodrive was in 1993 and Rally Finland. This one comes from 1997, and is being claimed as the "Very First" Subaru WRC car?