Lot details
Registration No: KFL305W
Chassis No: 9808DEY22791
Mot Expiry: None

Although Vauxhall was late in deciding to tackle world-class rallying with specialised cars, from the mid-1970s it was determined to be competitive. A separate rally preparation company, Dealer Team Vauxhall, was set up for this purpose. With Ford's all-conquering Escort RS1800 as the benchmark, the company announced the Chevette HS in 1976, began winning with it in the following months, and capped it all with the even more focused Chevette HSRs during 1979 and 1980.

Based on the humdrum little Chevette family hatchback (which had been announced in 1975), the Chevette HS used specialised 135bhp 16-valve/twin-cam 2279cc engines backed by a Getrag five-speed gearbox, was treated to attractive re-styling touches including front and rear spoilers, and had cast alloy road wheels. This was a strictly limited-production car which cost £5,107 in 1977, and only 400 were ever built.

International FIA Group 4 derivatives of this model were campaigned by Dealer Team Vauxhall, the Shepreth (Cambridgeshire) - based 'rally team, from the end of 1976, and in the hands of drivers like Pentti Airikkala and Jimmy McRae, several major victories were recorded.

Then, in 1979, and to take advantage of the International Motorsport regulations which applied at that time, Vauxhall decided to produce an even more exclusive version - the HSR - with which they could go rallying. This was effectively an 'evolution' of the HS. Vauxhall set out to build only fifty such machines (some of them being assembled from partly complete, unsold, HS types), though the total actually achieved was just thirty-four road cars.

The HSR differed from the HS by having a number of bodywork changes, including flared front and rear wheel arches, a plastic bonnet with extra 'power bulges', and sculpted plastic sills under the doors. Most of the road cars had 150bhp engines with twin Dell'Orto carburettors, a twin-plate clutch and 7-inch wide wheels, though 'Works' rally cars were much more modified than this. In 1979 the price of a standard HSR was £7,105.

This particular car is well known among British rally enthusiasts as the 'ex-Pond' machine, because it is one of only a handful of 'Works' cars built and run by Dealer Team Vauxhall. According to DTV's records, only nine such FIA Group 4 team cars were ever built in four years, which means that `KFL 305W' is not only a famous, but also a very rare, survivor.

Newly prepared in 1981, it included every feature normal to rally cars of the period, including a stiffened and specially-prepared body shell, a tubular roll cage, special wheels, tyres and transmission items. `KFL 305W' tackled three International rallies in that year, when Tony Pond won the Circuit of Ireland and the Manx Trophy events outright. Then, for 1982, it was re-allocated to team recruit Russell Brookes, when it carried 'Andrews Heat for Hire' sponsorship livery and started five events, taking second place on the Circuit of Ireland and in the German Haspenguow events. It was not used by DTV after mid-1982

'Works' HSRs not only ran with all the flamboyant add-on styling features (which caused them to be nicknamed 'Plastic Fantastic'), but also had engines producing at least 250bhp. By this time they were among the fastest and most successful of all British two-wheel rally cars of the period.

As presented for sale, `KFL 305W' has reverted to its original silver-based DTV-Castrol livery - the one made famous by Tony Pond in 1981. Entering the current ownership during 1989, it has not been driven since emerging from a major restoration at the hands of the respected firm R.E.D. (Rally Engineering Development, Widnes). Importantly, the HSR is stated to retain its last period body shell and carries a 2.3-litre engine with the number WBB2300014, which confirms that the touch of Bill Blydenstein (the 'WBB' of DTV) is still present in this historic Vauxhall.