Rally Icon: 1988 Audi Sport quattro S1 Up For Sale
This “monstrous” Audi quattro Sport S1 will hit the block with a host of other Group B legends.
In the history of rally racing, the Group B era is as fantastic as it was short. The Audi Sport quattro S1 was a product of that wild, dangerous time, and even by today’s standards, the performance of the revolutionary machine was staggering. With 500 horsepower and a whopping 590 lb-ft of torque on tap, this all-wheel drive beast could make the sprint to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. For those keeping score at home, that’s just a few ticks off a modern Bugatti Veyron’s time.
French rally driver Bruno Saby, who drove for legendary marques like Renault, Peugeot, and Lancia during his career, said that the S1 was “the greatest monster of them all,” which is obviously high praise. But while the wicked Audi was a brutal weapon designed for the crucible of competition, it also served as proof that four-wheel drive wasn’t just for burly off-road rigs, and was instrumental in making Audi synonymous with its famous quattro all-wheel drive system.
Today, few examples of the ferocious Four Rings racer remain, but if you’ve got pockets as deep as the Mariana Trench, you could own one. Because early next month, Artcurial Motorcars is auctioning off a staggering collection of cars plucked from the collection of the Manoir de l’Automobile museum in France, including what’s likely the best condition S1 currently in private hands.
This example was purchased directly from Audi Sport in 1989, by publishing executive Olivier Quesnel, and has just over 650 miles on the clock. The low mileage can be attributed to the fact that other than the Race of Champions exhibition in 1988, the car never saw competition. Now, on one hand, it’s a dismal shame that this machine has seen so little time in the trenches. But given the tole that crashes and canalization can take on old racing cars, it’s pretty neat that it’s been kept as something of a time capsule.
Along with the S1, other notable rally machines of the period, including a 1985 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo, a 1985 Lancia 037, and a 1986 Ford RS200 are also up for grabs. While none of them are what a mere mortal would consider affordable, the Audi is the only one which is expected to crest into the million-dollar range.
But even if you’re not a billionaire hedge fund manager in the market for a museum-quality piece of automotive history, the Artcurial site makes for great reading. I went down a rabbit hole over there, and if this Verde Germoglio Ferrari 512 BB actually goes for $365,000? Mark my words, the buyer will have gotten one hell of a deal.
Of course, as great as the accompanying shots are, still imagery can’t ever do a beast like the S1 justice. So make sure to check out the video below to hear its high-strung five-cylinder turbo bark and wail. It’s truly a song from another age, and it’s unlikely that the racing world will ever seen anything like it ever again. Here’s hoping that whoever wins the auction brings it out for some exhibition events, and doesn’t just keep in bubble wrapped the belly of a climate controlled garage.
Photos: Artcurial Motorcars