1999 Subaru Impreza WRC

Over the course of its life in the World Rally Championship with the works 555 Subaru World Rally Team, the Impreza scored an impressive 46 victories and 122 podium finishes in 193 World Rally events, claiming 6 World Rally Championships in the process. 

The car presented here is 1999 Subaru Impreza WRC example, chassis PRO GC8-99.015, built in late 1999 by Prodrive. Chassis #15 is one of only 27 WRC99 examples produced and was originally owned and registered by Prodrive as ‘V100 ALL’. It was utilised as an ‘Allstars’ car being driven by Holowczyc Krzysztof (with co-driver Fortin Jean-Marc) on two WRC events, namely the Swedish International Rally on 10th February 2000 as car 22, and by the same pairing as car 26 on the TAP Rallye de Portugal 2000 on 16th March 2000. 

Subsequently, Chassis #15 was totally re-prepared and later in 2000, was sold to well-known Northern Irish driver and businessman Andrew Nesbitt, now bearing the registration ‘V10 WRC’ and its famous ‘Cuisine de France’ livery. He and co-driver James O’Brien campaigned the car for 18 months, winning six events, including the Shell Donegal International Rally, breaking all previous records by taking the fastest times on all  22 special stages, and going on to win the Irish Tarmac Championship.  

In 2002, the car was subsequently sold to Niall Maguire who converted it to right-hand drive and competed in the National Championship of Ireland, which he won in 2003. Our vendor bought the car from Maguire in March 2004 and has owned/campaigned it ever since, this being a long and fruitful custodianship. He has used Chassis #15 on all home national/international rallies including Jim Clark, Killarney, West Cork, Waterford, Wexford in Ireland, Bethune Rally and Rallye Charlemagne in France, Mull and Isle of Man; the last of these being the Pentraeth Glyn Memorial Stages in November 2021. 

The car is presented to auction in immaculate condition, having been the recipient of a full bare shell rebuild (costing £50,000), only 800 miles ago. With absolutely no expense spared and with a full photographic record, the work included an engine prepared by Graham Sweet of GT Motorsports Ltd., a fully rebuilt gearbox (£5,500) by Autosportif Engineering Ltd., new front hubs and new rear hub bearings, a new tubular front cross member (£3,000), a new Inconel exhaust manifold (£5,000), and a new AP clutch; the Reiger 3-way suspension had the fronts re-gassed and oiled, whist the rears were rebuilt. The bag tank is valid until 2024 (which can be extended by 2 years), with Motordrive seats (2022) and harnesses (2022), Lifeline Zero 360 fire extinguishers (serviced March 2021) and a Peltor intercom. The car has been solely prepared and run by GEO Preparation of Bromsgrove whilst in our vendor’s ownership.  

Chassis #15 is a very well-known and highly revered car, having been hugely successful and reliable in the hands of just three owners (the last of which for 18 years), and is the final competing WRC99 example in the world – a testimony to its diligent ownership. The car's status and achievements are fully documented on the ewrc-results.com website: https://www.ewrc-results.com/carinfo/38-subaru-impreza-s5-wrc-99/?car=851

This is a very special car, and we invite any interested parties to come and inspect it. They won’t be disappointed. Its quality is clear both ‘in the metal’ and in its achievements.  

Complete with a huge spares package, the car will come with a carbon-fibre lamp pod with Hella hid Zenon lenses and halogen corner pods, a bespoke stainless-steel tundish and dry break, 4 x refurbished magnesium 6-spoke Speedline wheels, a pair of brand new AP front discs with bells fitted, 1x set front/rear Mintex pads, 1x spare clutch (re-shimmed), new front/rear bumpers plus splitter, original Prodrive Bilstein dampers, alternative springs for Reiger dampers and 100 litres of 102 octane fuel.

Available by separate negotiation are: 30+ magnesium alloy wheels (12 x original 6-spoke Speedlines), springs, driveshafts, clutches, complete turbo (0 miles since rebuild), new throttle motor, new rad pack and fans, new intercooler (needs headers fitting), s/h exhaust manifolds, a new steel front wing and new steering rack, plus more.