- Driven by Alain Oreille

- Second overall on the 1990 Ivory Coast-Bandama Rally, a round in the World Rally Championship

- Unchanged and untouched since it finished the rally

- No reserve

The condition of this Renault 5 GT Turbo makes it exceptional: it is exactly as it was at the end of the 22nd Ivory Coast-Bandama Rally on 1 November 1990, winning Group N in the hands of Alain Oreille and Michel Roissard and finishing second overall behind the Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 of Tauziac and Papin. A remarkable performance for a car in this class in a round of the World Rally Championship.

Even the sand from the time is still to be found inside this historic car, which retains its period livery and all its official stickers (including those from scrutineering) and has the exact same equipment as for the rally in 1990, in accordance with the FIA requirements: a Matter roll cage, bucket seats with harnesses and the specific type of spare wheel in the rear compartment. Externally, it is fitted with an additional tubular bumper, a row of four long-range driving lights and, on each side of the windscreen, a pair of searchlights. Entered by Diac-Simon Racing, the car also contributed to Alain Oreille’s world title in Group N that season.

It was recommissioned a few years ago for a historic event, which required the replacement of some of the fuel lines, and, as the mechanic responsible for the job told us: “Above all, we had to avoid touching the sand around the engine!”. Suffice to say that the car is unbelievably authentic, which is extremely rare in the case of a rally car.

An official driver for Renault from 1984–1996, Alain Oreille is the only driver to have been the overall winner of a round of the World Rally Championship with a Group N car (for production cars which were virtually identical to the standard models, and of which a minimum of 2500 were built), a feat he achieved in 1989 on the same Ivory Coast Rally, also with an R5 GT Turbo! He continued his career with outstanding results driving the Clio 16V and Williams, before excelling in historic rallies, where he remains at the forefront.

The Renault 5 GT Turbo, it may be recalled, was the successor to the R5 Alpine Turbo and went on sale in 1985 in the ‘GTI’ class which was then all the rage; it could exceed 200kph thanks to the Garrett turbocharger fitted to the tried and tested 1397cc 4-cylinder engine carried over from its predecessor. With its rally preparation, this particular car, corresponding to the second phase of the R5 GT Turbo, is quicker still.

This authentic and unmodified rally car, which won its class with an internationally renowned driver, represents an exceptionally rare opportunity which will not be lost on connoisseurs.