Colin McRae’s 1998 Subaru Impreza S5 WRC auctioned for up to P26-M

The 1998 Subaru Impreza S5 that was part of the illustrious career of the late Colin McRae and Nicky Grist is currently being auctioned for nearly 26-million.

According to Silverstone Auctions, the vehicle driven by the Scottish rally racer is being publicly sold for £340,000 (approximately P22.9 million) up to £380,000 (around P25.6 million). The auction house noted that the two-door rally car — more known as the “P2 WRC” — was originally mounted to Chassis 3 and started life as a works Subaru entry in the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally driven by McRae.

 “‘P2 WRC’ represents a fascinating piece of rallying history and we’re honored here at Silverstone Auctions to be asked to offer it to the open market," Harry Whale of Silverstone Auctions was quoted as saying.

The said vehicle was then mated to Prodrive Chassis 21 and was subsequently privately campaigned in Europe during the 1998 to 2000 seasons with numerous wins, including the Hungarian Championship in 1998 and 1999.

Silverstone Auctions shared that the ownership of the vehicle then moved from continental Europe to the United Kingdom in 2001, was used in rally competitions before being stored again. In 2015 it was used for shows and events.

Its most recent appearance was at a Retro Race in 2020.

Per Silverstone Auctions, the Autosportif rebuilt the engine and gearbox only a few hundred miles ago. The car was professionally converted to right-hand drive to better handle the Irish stages prior to the vendor's long-term ownership but can be converted back to left-hand drive should the new owner wish to.

Further the auctioneer said that many in the motorsport community still see the vehicle as one of WRC’s all-time legends, saying that it was "piloted by some of the best crews on the planet at the time whilst being managed by one of the best motorsport outfits of all time.”

 “P2 WRC is a well-known 2-door Subaru WRC car and very desirable in its own right. It has certainly lived a busy and fascinating life and in our opinion is all the better for it. It's been well cared-for in private ownership for almost 20 years and combined with its links to the great Colin McRae, this really is a very rare opportunity to continue the fascinating story of P2 WRC,” Whale said.

Photos from Silverstone Auctions

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