﹒Engine rebuild and front suspension refresh within the last 15k miles
The Background
Toyota is very much in the news at the moment with the release of its latest homologation special, the much-lauded GR Yaris. Built to provide the basis for the Gazoo Racing Toyota World Rally team competition car, it’s a rare example these days of a manufacturer’s commitment to the sport. But Toyota has form in this regard, though we have to look back to the nineties for its last example, the Celica GT-Four.
In the late eighties, the WRC was all about Lancia who would go on to six straight years of winning the manufacturer’s title. But the Japanese manufacturers also saw the potential of ‘win on a Sunday, sell on a Monday’ and set about challenging the Italians’ dominance. Toyota debuted its Celica GT-Four ST165 in 1988 and by 1990 had bagged its first driver’s championship with Carlos Sainz.
The Celica GT-Four ST205 was launched in 1994, with its 2 litre inline four cylinder engine producing up to 255bhp in JDM spec, driving all four wheels through a 5 speed manual gearbox and featuring ‘Super Strut’ front suspension, a type of design also later used by Renaultsport for its Meganes and Ford on the Focus RS. In a dramatic turn of events, the rally car was thrown out of the 1995 WRC for what Max Mosely, then head of the FIA, described as ‘the most sophisticated cheat device I have ever seen’ (a turbo restrictor that didn’t restrict as much as it should have done) but the road car was so popular that it continued in production well beyond the 2500 units required by the Group A rules, with the final example rolling off the production line, as this one did, in 1999.
Only a limited number made their way officially to the UK while they were in production but over time it has become something of a JDM cult classic which is highly sought after as a prime example of the benefits that rallying can bring to road cars.
This 1999 JDM-spec car was imported to the UK in 2009 and has 3 previous owners in the UK. In 2013, shortly after acquiring it, the second owner sent the car for an engine rebuild and replacement of the Super Strut suspension at a Toyota main dealer. Subsequently it was then sold to an owner that runs a garage and who applied a number of modifications: an alloy radiator mounted to a Beatrush panel, a Forge blow-off valve, a Blitz Nurspec decat exhaust and a Lockwood white dial kit. After dry storing the car since 2016, the last owner decided to sell in order to help finance a Nissan GT-R R34 and fitted 4 new tyres and had a full 4 wheel alignment check carried out in January of this year.
The original Japanese manuals and stamped service book are present, which is great for completeness and Japanese speakers. Unusually for an import, there is also a sheaf of invoices from Japan but the most useful records are those from the main dealer detailing the almost £2000-worth of engine and suspension work from 2013. Other UK invoices include those for the Gemini alarm system and the window tints. Both keys are present, together with 2 fobs for the alarm system. It should be noted when reviewing the MOT history for the car that the testers indiscriminately log miles or kilometres as the unit of measurement. It is believed that the correct unit of measure is kilometres in all cases.
The cloth interior is in very original condition with genuine Celica overmats, though these are showing some wear. The upholstery however has worn well with the seat bolsters in particular showing little signs of use and the rear seats appear, as is often the case, to have seen light usage only. The steering wheel is the original Toyota fitment while the gear knob is a TRD (Toyota Racing Developments) item. A later double-din Alpine head unit has been added which is operational and includes a USB input and the aerial extends and retracts as it should. The white Lockwood dials help to lift the appearance of the dashboard and the odometer continues to read in kilometres, with the 104,000 translating to less than 65,000 miles. The headlining is in good condition with just a couple of age-related marks, and a slight crease. As you would expect of a Toyota, all of the buttons and switches still function as intended. The only negative is the fuel gauge, which is showing incorrectly and will need to be looked at by the new owner.
Presented in white, this example is every inch the road-going rally car. Add a Castrol livery and it would be a dead ringer for a full-blown rally car. As it is, the bodywork is straight with tight panel gaps and paintwork is in generally excellent condition and only a few blemishes are worth noting: small rust patches on each of the front arches, a couple of small cracks in the front bumper and a stone chip below the offside fog light. There is also some rubbing to the paintwork at the rear corners of the door openings, though these don’t look to be a cause for concern, and there’s some wear on the passenger B pillar. The genuine Toyota wheels are in original condition with just a few age related marks, while the tyres are all new and the brake callipers have been refurbished and repainted at some stage. The light lenses are all clear and scratch-free and at the rear are mud flaps wearing the Toyota logo. In all it presents very well for a car of its age.
The engine bay has come up very well from the recent valet and the mechanics all appear to be in fine fettle. The seller tells us it starts the first time every time and will amble around town effortlessly then boost hard when asked to. They also mention, and as you would expect from the amount spent on the suspension, there are no untoward noises from underneath and that the gear change is smooth and the brakes bite well. This car is ready to be used.
In amongst all the publicity around the launch of the GR Yaris, a number of Celica GT-Fours have been popping up in the media coverage and, for all the talents of the newcomer, there are many of us of a certain age who look upon Toyota’s earlier homologation effort with a greater degree of fondness. Toyota’s reputation in motorsport may have been tarnished at the time by competitive spirit getting ahead of following the rules but there’s no doubt that this model of Celica has aged into a genuine modern classic and a perfect demonstration of how grey imports can offer interesting alternatives to what the manufacturers choose to bring to the UK.
This example offers some light upgrades and the peace of mind of having had the engine and suspension rebuilt by a Toyota main dealer, no less. Looking at the market for 90’s rally specials, depreciation is not likely to factor heavily in the running costs so it really is just waiting to be enjoyed. Whether the next owner goes for the full Castrol livery kit is a matter of taste but if you want the decision to be yours, then you’d best get bidding now.
*** The photos in this listing have been provided to us by the seller ***
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