One of a small handful of Citroën BX 4TC Evolution rally cars that the automaker designed for the WRC Groupe B has cropped up on sale and is expected to go for €250,000 - €350,000.
The BX 4TC Evolution has never had much success in the tournament, but this specific car has participated in three races in 1986. It was originally designed in 1983, a mere year after the firstWorld Rally Championship was announced, and hit the track three years later. The BX 4TC was criticized for sharing most of its equipment with road-legal production cars: it was heavy and had a front-mounted engine, while many of its rivals ran mid-engined cars on lightweight frames.
Things weren’t much better in the horsepower department: its turbocharged four-pot only churned out 380 PS (375 hp / 279 kW). On the upside, the car took advantage of a proprietary air/hydraulic suspension system that proved to be highly efficient at the Acropolis Rally of Greece.
The car had participated in three races of the 1986 season before Groupe B retired from the championship permanently. Aside from Acropolis, it rode in Monte Carlo and Sweden, where it finished 6th – its highest achievement ever. The example on sale was piloted by Jean-Claude Andruet. Having concluded its racing career, the car retired to a museum, explaining its great condition.
A total of 20 BX 4TC Evolution rally cars and 62 road-legal counterparts was built. Rumor has it that the company bought around a half of these cars back from their private owners and destroyed, and that no more than 7 rally cars have survived to this day.