It’s a long time since Colorado Springs, 1987. Even longer since Sanremo, 1985. Yet still Audi’s Sport quattro E2 keeps on winning.
The game-changing machine’s latest success comes courtesy of Steve Rimmer rather than Walter Röhrl, with the DirtFish owner celebrating victory for his ex-Hannu Mikkola car at The Quail Motorsport Gathering in California last week.
Joining the event’s inaugural celebration of world rallying, Rimmer displayed the Audi alongside his 800bhp Pikes Peak-specification Ford Fiesta and ex-Tommi Mäkinen Subaru Impreza WRC02. Also present was a brace for factory Lancia 037s and even a Ford RS200 owned by Ken Block.
It was, however, the stunning quattro – resplendent in the factory livery used until the German manufacturer’s final World Rally Championship outing in Portugal, 1986 – which took the win on Friday.
“We saw the judges having a good look at all of the cars in the World Rally Tribute class,” said Steve, “and why wouldn’t you, there were some incredible cars there. But when James [Rimmer] and I were approached and asked if we could drive the car, we thought something might be coming…
“We were delighted to see the winner’s ticket on the windshield. We came down to California and wanted to support The Quail by bringing some cars, and while we were hoping we might be in with a shot at winning the award, we knew the competition would be tough. The Audi came through though.”
Steve Rimmer (l) enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with former FIA president Jean Todt
With that, the Rimmers guided the E2 through the crowds to the podium, where this incredible Group B car – arguably the most visibly striking of its generation – celebrated once more with champagne and no shortage of pictures.
Steve added: “I want to thank Ian [Gwynne, BGMsport owner] back in the UK for all the work he did on the car and Sean [Medcroft] in our own shop in Seattle, winning this wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work those guys – and everybody at DirtFish – puts into projects like this. And, of course, thanks to Max Girardo and his team at Girardo & Co. for finding this amazing car in the first place.
“The Quail has been a fantastic event, it’s been a privilege to come down here and to sit some of our cars alongside some of the finest in the sport and the industry’s history. Meeting people like [former FIA president] Jean Todt and just being immersed in cars in California has been a real treat. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a long road for rallying at this great event.”
And, just as a reminder, Pikes Peak 1987 was Audi’s last official win with the Sport quattro E2, while Sanremo two years earlier was the marque’s last win in the World Rally Championship. The E2 was officially finished as a factory car after the inaugural Race of Champions event, organized by Michèle Mouton at the Monthléry circuit close to Paris in 1988.
