McRae & Hopkirk works rally cars come under the hammer

Posted: December 15, 2007 9:55 PM

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14/12/07
McRAE AND HOPKIRK WORKS RALLY CARS TO COME UNDER THE HAMMER AT H&H CHELTENHAM, 27 FEBRUARY 2008
It is still only a few months since the rally world lost one of its all-time heroes - Britain's first-ever World Rally Champion, Colin McRae, who sadly died in a helicopter accident. Under the circumstances, it is especially poignant for H&H to be offering one of Colin's former cars - the 1992 Subaru Legacy (J314 PWL) in which he won the British Rally Championship of that year, the second of his career. Estimate - £70,000-100,000.

. . .and a pair of ex-Paddy Hopkirk Works Minis. Ex-Hopkirk Minis have long since been sought by collectors the world over and H&H will be auctioning not one but two in the Cheltenham sale.

1. 1964 Morris Mini Cooper S (CRX 90B) was the prototype for the hydrolastic rally Minis and contested the 1964 RAC Rally in the hands of Hopkirk and Henry Liddon. It was then used by BMC stalwarts Don and Erle Morley on the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally. It remained with the BMC Competition Department until 1968, when it was purchased by works co-driver Paul Easter. It subsequently passed through several hands, before being fully restored and finishing second to Hopkirk's own car (AJB 44B) on the RAC Golden 50 Rally of 1982. Estimate - £40,000-50,000.

2. 1967 Morris Mini Cooper S (OBL 45F) began and ended its works career as a circuit racer (a response to the increasing domination on rally stages the world over of models such as the Porsche 911 and Renault Alpine 110). First driven in anger by John Handley at Brands Hatch in 1969, it went on to contest the Tour de France that year in the hands of Hopkirk and Tony Nash, winning its class. The car passed into private ownership when the Competition Department was wound up. Following a lengthy restoration, it is now offered as seen at Brands Hatch nearly 40 years ago. Estimate - £30,000-40,000.

For further details of H&H's sale of collectors' cars, motorcycles, bicycles, registration plates and automobilia at Cheltenham Racecourse on 26/27 February, log onto http://www.handh.co.uk