Is there a tougher Toyota Celica than this one? We don’t think
Classic Toyota Celicas are cool. But we’ve never seen them as cool as this one. This is a 1979 Celica RA40, an original Toyota Team Europe rally car. And it’s still for sale at Silverstone Auctions.
Toyota is currently active in the World Rally Championship with the GR Yaris. The Japanese brand has a long history in this sport that began in the 1970s. Toyota’s two main weapons over the last fifty years have been the Corolla and the Celica.
In 1977 the final choice fell on the Toyota Celica
The official World Rally Championship has been around since 1973 and Toyota has been involved from the start. Initially, the brand ran the Corolla and the Celica side-by-side, depending on the event, but in 1977 the final choice fell on the Celica.
Success for the Celica in Group B and Group A
In the Group B era, which lasted from 1982 to 1986, the Toyota Celica Twin Cam Turbo TA64 couldn’t break much. The car only shone in the desert, winning all the African rallies it entered.
The following Celica GT-Four Group A – see Peter’s test drive – was significantly more successful. In the capable hands of Carlos Sainz – the father of Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz Junior – the rally coupé won two constructors’ titles and four drivers’ championships.
Last RA40 built by Toyota Team Europe
This Toyota Celica RA40 competed in Group 4, the class ahead of Group B. Only a handful were made by Toyota Team Europe in Cologne and this is the very last.
Chassis number TA40000100666 took part in the 1980 Acropolis Rally in Greece, 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and RAC Rally in England. A year later it took part in a few more rallies in the British Championship, after which Toyota put it up for sale in Motorsport magazine.
Has had an owner for over thirty years
The current seller bought the Celica over thirty years ago and has taken very good care of it. For the past decade, the Toyota has only been used for historic rally demonstrations such as the Donington Park Historic Festival and the Rally of the Midlands.
At the front of the Toyota Celica is a four-cylinder in-line engine with two overhead camshafts and two Weber carburetors. Its output of around 200 hp is sent to the rear wheels via a manual six-speed gearbox.
If you pay more than 160,000 euros for this old rally hero, you will receive a whole collection of parts, such as eleven original Minilite and BBS wheels, an original jack from the Toyota team at the time, springs, dampers, light units, body parts and more.