Photo: RM Sotheby's
Group B was, for all intents and purposes, the most exciting class of 1980s rallying and arguably the most dangerous. At a time when World Rally Championship turned to four-wheel-drive in order to keep the Group B monsters under control, Mazda thought that it would be an inspired idea to have a go at competing in the fastest, most powerful, and most compelling rallying echelon yet.
It’s with the RX-7 that the Japanese automaker made an appearance in the WRC, finishing on 11th on the car’s debut at the 1981 RAC Rally in Wales. As Mazda was working on its Group B contender, the category was folded and the replacement for the rally-spec RX-7 came in the form of the Group A 323 4WD. The latter has two Swedish Rally victories to its name (1987 and 1989).
The automaker’s Group B efforts came to life in the form of the car featured in the photo gallery, the bearer of chassis number MRTE 019. Completed in 1985 and one of the seven RX-7 Group B rally cars ever built, MRTE 019 is believed to be the only original example still in existence. A never raced and unused blast from the past, the hell-bent for leather monster spent the first part of its life as an exhibit at Mazda Racing Team Europe's Belgian facility.
Subsequently, it was displayed in Switzerland and Scandinavia, after which the car entered the current owner’s private collection. MRTE 019 spent the better part of six months to be restored to original condition, and it’s now looking for a new owner. RM Sotheby’s will handle the sale of the car, although the auction house refused to offer an estimate on the rotary-powered bad boy.
Regardless of the monetary aspect of the highest bid, there’s no denying the next owner of the Group B RX-7 will flat-out love the sound of the peripheral-ported 13B twin-rotor engine. Developing 300+ hp at ridiculously high RPMs, the 1.3-liter engine is fed by a race-ready Weber 51 IDA carburetor.
The automaker’s Group B efforts came to life in the form of the car featured in the photo gallery, the bearer of chassis number MRTE 019. Completed in 1985 and one of the seven RX-7 Group B rally cars ever built, MRTE 019 is believed to be the only original example still in existence. A never raced and unused blast from the past, the hell-bent for leather monster spent the first part of its life as an exhibit at Mazda Racing Team Europe's Belgian facility.
Subsequently, it was displayed in Switzerland and Scandinavia, after which the car entered the current owner’s private collection. MRTE 019 spent the better part of six months to be restored to original condition, and it’s now looking for a new owner. RM Sotheby’s will handle the sale of the car, although the auction house refused to offer an estimate on the rotary-powered bad boy.
Regardless of the monetary aspect of the highest bid, there’s no denying the next owner of the Group B RX-7 will flat-out love the sound of the peripheral-ported 13B twin-rotor engine. Developing 300+ hp at ridiculously high RPMs, the 1.3-liter engine is fed by a race-ready Weber 51 IDA carburetor.
Google News