A 1994 Subaru Prodrive 555 Group A World Rally Championship car raced by both Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz recently sold for AU$500,000 (US$364,000) at an auction in Australia.
The famous rally car was initially found in a barn in Victoria and given a full wash and detail before the auction. It has not been restored and remains in its original condition and prior to the sale, Lloyds Auctions chief operating officer Lee Hames suggested it could be worth more than AU$1 million.
“When we originally saw this car, it was a barn find with an estimated value of $15,000-$20,000. Today it’s had a wash and a check of its history, and it may well be worth more than $1 million,” Hames explained.
Watch Also: Chris Harris Drives Colin McRae’s Championship-Winning 1995 Subaru Impreza 555
Interestingly, the car was purchased with Bitcoin. According to Hames, cryptocurrency is the way of the future “and here at Lloyds we are excited to be able to offer various payment methods, and evolve with the changing world.”
This is one of just 68 Subaru WRC cars of this era that was commissioned by Prodrive and was authenticated by ICAARS and Possum Bourne Motor Sport. It had passed through the hands of three owners since its retirement prior to the recent auction. The car’s best finish in a race was a third place in the 1994 Monte Carlo rally with Carlos Sainz behind the wheel.
Still powering the rare rally car is its original 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine and six-speed manual transmission.
