26th Feb, 2011 14:40

Stoneleigh Park

 
Lot 45
 

1979 Vauxhall Chevette HSR Works Rally Car

Sold for £67,500

(including buyers premium)


Lot details
Registration No: AVE345V
Chassis No: 9808DE7227913
Mot Expiry: Jan 2012

The Chevette was a small family saloon that slotted into the Vauxhall range below the established Viva. With Ford not responding with the Fiesta until 1976, it was in fact the best selling vehicle of its type from 1975 to 1978. By 1976 the company's Chairman Bob Price had decided competing in international rallying was the best way to increase Vauxhall's profile and a deal was struck with Blydenstein Racing to develop a rally version of the Chevette. Enter the HS.

A 16-valve version of Vauxhall's 2.3-litre 'Slant-Four' engine was shoehorned into the Chevette's purposeful snout. This was mated to a five-speed Getrag gearbox and the suspension and rear axle lifted from the Opel Kadett C GT/E. A glass-reinforced plastic airdam was developed and Chevrolet Vega alloy wheels fitted. Entry into Group 4 required the building of 400 'homologation specials' for general sale. The result was a rapid, good handling if rather unrefined machine. Like the Droopsnoot Firenzas, HSs were only available in Silver. The Works rally cars enjoyed great results in the hands of such talent as Pentii Airikkala and Tony Pond. To sustain the early promise, the HS was developed into the faster HSR by upgrading unsold HSs and modifying customers' vehicles. Among the many spoils amassed by the HS and HSRs were the 1979 British Drivers' Championship and the 1981 Manufacturers' Championship.

The 1979 right-hand drive Chevette being offered is the ex-Works machine in which Pentti Airikkala won the 1979 Sedan Open Championship. 'AVE 345V' was built by the Blydenstein operation at Shepreth and run by the Works manager, Gerry Johnstone. En route to his championship victory, Airikkala won the Ulster rally outright, came 4th on the Costa Brava and 7th on the RAC Rally. As a result the car featured in numerous publications of the day.

The following year the Vauxhall was run for Graham Elsmore, who achieved victories on the Epynt, Ard and Halewood stage rallies. It was then taken over by Brendan Fagan, who ran it in the Irish Tarmac Championship with support from Gerry Johnstone, who had by now left Blydenstein's Dealer Team Vauxhall operation. Following outings in a variety of known hands, 'AVE 345V' was then reunited with Airikkala, who used it as the course car on the 1997 Snowman event. After this it was laid-up for a while before being restored to the former glory it now represents. In this form it played the more sedate role of tribute car at Airikkala's funeral in 2009.

Presented in its final HSR form (the conversion from HS was made in the 1981 season), it comprises: a genuine Safety Devices shell (with correct shell and chassis identity) sympathetically restored in period form. It is finished in Silver with Castrol stripes and decals as per the 1979 RAC event (including the number 7 door squares that were Airikkala's entry and finish number on the event). It sports a freshly restored 2.3-litre dry sump 16-valve engine, with correct Cosworth pistons and Gordon Allen steel crank and rods. The direct-top ZF dog-leg S5/18-3 dog gearbox has been fully reconditioned by specialist Brian Wildman. The four-link refurbished rear axle is the correct 4HA unit; fully floating with correct AP brakes, vented discs and a Works ratio limited slip differential. The front brakes are also the correct AP units. The car has rose-jointed suspension and mounting points. The interior is period correct and features the passenger floor-mounted fuse and relay panel only found on the Works machines. The dry sump tank and fuel pumps are located under the Works covers in the boot.

MOT'd, taxed and accompanied by full FIA / MSA paperwork, 'AVE 345V' offers the chance to buy both a great car for historic events and a cherished slice of rally history, that would be welcome at any relevant meeting in the world. A truly unique opportunity.
 

Auction: Stoneleigh Park, 26th Feb, 2011

View all lots in this sale

All successful bids must be paid in full by midday the day after the auction at the latest.

You can collect your new pride and joy from our venue until 1pm the day following the sale or our partners are on hand to help arrange safe transportation:

               

Do you have an item to sell?

If so, contact one of our friendly specialists for your free valuation by completing the form below and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you prefer to speak to humans, don't hesitate to call our office on +44 (0)1925 210035

Contact Us Today!

 

Images

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


Quality and quantity represented at mammoth classic motorcycle auction
Quadrophenia album scooter with links to Pete Townsend and Liam Gallagher up for auction
H&H Classics last Cambridgeshire auction in 2024 sees ‘star’ results
Ducati delight as six superb examples from one collection go under the hammer
German engineering and style showcased at classic car auction
Norton’s first F1R ever produced up for auction
Best of British heads impressive collection of 160 classics for auction
Exciting new premises are close to hand for H&H Classics
X-press yourself…Jaguar purchased by Madonna could be yours to cherish
Oldest known surviving Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) car heads to auction
James Bond’s Vanquish available to ‘Drive Another Day’
Chalky’s actual Lambretta which featured in Quadrophenia heads for auction
Automobilia auction raises more than £194,000 with all 329 lots sold
Entire catalogue offered without reserve in one-off automobilia auction
Impressive results at latest H&H Classics auction
Dozens of ‘no-reserve’ classics head to auction
Recently restored Audi Quattro press car heads to auction
Classic motorcycle auction highlights buoyant market
Rare barn find stars in classic motorcycle auction
Highly original Jaguar SS100 flies away at Duxford sale
Modified classics add a twist to H&H’s next motorcycle sale
Century of motoring history represented at H&H auction
World’s biggest production pick-up truck roars to auction
Mercedes-Benz 500SL delivered new to Sir Stirling Moss heads to auction
Cars from the 1910s to the 2010s head to auction for Buxton sale
H&H’s motorcycle sales off to a flying start in 2024 with market-leading 88 percent sales rate
Goon, Goon, Gone: Unique Peter Sellers 1960 Bentley heads to auction
Eclectic 150-plus classic car auction helps round out H&H’s milestone 30th year celebrations
One of the UK’s best driving Aston Martin DB5s heads to auction
Mid-century sports car icons race to Buxton auction
Former front cover ‘star’ heads to auction
Classic British motorcycles shine as 230 lots head to the National Motorcycle Museum auction
Racing legend Patsy Burt's Jaguar XK120 speeds to Buxton auction
22-strong single owner classic motorcycle collection heads to auction
Norton's racing heritage set to ignite the auction stage
Rare Frazer-Nash BMW with rich racing history to be auctioned
“The Rolls-Royce” of the motorcycle world, heads to      auction
Martini inspired Porsche 911 ‘RSR’ Tribute to head under the hammer
Rare ‘Car on Two Wheels’ heads to auction for the first time in 30 years
More than 100 classics sold in H&H’s 30th anniversary sale
Stunning classics worth more than £9 million offered in 30th anniversary auction
Rare Aston Martin DB1 heads to anniversary auction from long-term ownership
Rare Bentleys to star in 30th celebration auction
H&H Classics 30th Anniversary Auction
H&H unveils details of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Classic car owners handed ULEZ lifeline
H&H Classics auction Hurricane X-75 Prototype to National Motorcycle Museum
Vintage and modern classics lead the way at latest H&H sale