Ex-works MG Metro 6R4 sells for record-breaking £425,500 at Iconic Auctioneers’ Supercar Fest sale
Images: Iconic Auctioneers
A typically varied sale by Iconic Auctioneers at Supercar Fest featured some exciting headline lots on Saturday, 18 May – chief among which was this 1985 MG Metro 6R4 Group B rally car.
One of nine examples built to international tarmac specification, the car – Chassis #207 – was campaigned in two Group B rallies with 410bhp on tap from its mid-mounted 2,991cc V6 engine.
The car was built for and made its competition debut at the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally driven by Pond and co-driver Rob Arthur. It was then driven by Marc Duez on the Rally de Portugal later that year but withdrawn from the event following the crash of Joaquim Santos’ Ford RS200 that killed four spectators and injured around 30 others. Two rallies later, Henri Toivonen and co-driver Sergio Cresto were killed in a crash that would seal the fate of Group B rallying.
According to Iconic Auctioneers, this example has remained in its original specification since it was built – quite rare for a 6R4. The car has reportedly never been crashed, nor used by privateers in an alternative specification. The 6R4 has enjoyed a relaxed retirement on display at the Williams F1 Museum, appearances in the RAC Club lobby and just two demonstration runs in the past 22 years.
The headline sale figure of £425,500 reflects the car’s desirable specification, history and direct connection to the twilight years of the most infamous and evocative era of the World Rally Championship.
A full engine rebuild also likely added to the car’s appeal for its new owner – along with three original 6R4 spare wheels, an original MG car cover from the RAC Rally, a set of original spot lamps and even Tony Pond’s seatbelts from 1986.
