Set against the backdrop of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix weekend, the upcoming Bonhams Monaco Sale 2026 is shaping up as one of the most compelling collector car auctions of the spring season. While a diverse mix of Formula 1 machinery, touring cars and modern hypercars will cross the block at the Fairmont Hotel on April 24, it’s a pair of Audi quattro Group B rally cars that stand out—not just for their rarity, but for their direct ties to one of rallying’s most transformative eras.
LOT 133 EX-HANNU MIKKOLA, 1983 RALLY OF PORTUGAL WINNING AUDI QUATTRO A2 GROUP B WORKS ‘R38’ CHASSIS
Leading the Audi charge is the ex-Hannu Mikkola 1983 Audi Quattro A2 Group B Works car, chassis #R38, estimated to sell at €900,000–€1,200,000. This is no static museum piece—it’s a works Audi Sport entry that played a direct role in the 1983 World Rally Championship season. Most notably, it took victory at the Rally of Portugal, where Audi Sport driving legend Hannu Mikkola secured ten stage wins on his way to overall victory.
R38’s provenance list reads like a highlight reel from Group B’s golden age. It competed in Monte Carlo (finishing fourth), led the Acropolis Rally after winning nine stages before retiring, and later appeared at the 1000 Lakes Rally. Across that season, the car contributed significantly to Mikkola’s championship-winning campaign, accounting for 30 of his 105 points.
Technically, the A2 evolution marked a critical step in Audi’s development of the quattro concept. With displacement adjusted to fit Group B regulations and weight savings achieved through composite materials and Kevlar, output climbed to approximately 370 horsepower. The result was a machine that not only redefined traction in rallying, but also forced the rest of the field to rethink drivetrain philosophy altogether.
LOT 139 EX-MARC DUEZ, 1982 HASPENGOUW RALLY WINNING AUDI QUATTRO A1 GROUP B ‘BELGA 2’
If R38 represents factory dominance, the second Audi—known as “Belga 2”—tells a different story. This 1983 Audi Quattro A1 Group B car, estimated at €350,000–€500,000, was campaigned by Belgian driver Marc Duez and co-driver Willy Lux under the Belga banner.
Built from the ground up by Schmidt Motorsport with Audi Sport support, Belga 2 quickly proved its capability. It secured overall victory at the Haspengouw Rally with 26 stage wins from 32 and later finished fourth at the grueling Ypres 24 Hours Rally.
Unlike the works-backed R38, Belga 2 reflects the privateer spirit that also helped define Group B. Its origins trace back to a grassroots effort by the Belgian Audi Club, backed by sponsors and driven by belief in Audi’s emerging quattro technology. Even today, the car retains much of its period character, including its distinctive Belga red-and-white livery and mechanical configuration, now fully restored and eligible for historic rally competition.
BROADER GRID OF MOTORSPORT HEAVYWEIGHTS
While the Audis will draw significant attention from marque enthusiasts, they are part of a broader, motorsport-focused catalogue. Highlights include a 1958 Lotus 16 Formula 1 car linked to Graham Hill, as well as a lineup of 1990s DTM machines (no Audi DTM cars) and a 1976 Lancia Stratos Group 4—another icon from rallying’s formative years.
The setting itself adds to the appeal. Hosted at the Fairmont Hotel overlooking Monaco’s famed Loews Hairpin, the sale effectively places bidders at the heart of Historic Grand Prix weekend, where many of these cars could theoretically transition from auction stage to circuit.
Link to All Lots of Bonhams Monaco Sale 2026
AUDI CONTEXT
For Audi collectors and historians, these cars represent pivotal chapters in the story of quattro—one as a factory weapon that helped secure a world title, the other as proof that the formula worked beyond Audi’s own works team.
More broadly, their presence at Bonams’ Monaco sale underscores the continued elevation of Group B-era machinery within the collector market. Once viewed as wild, even dangerous relics of a bygone era, these cars are now recognized for what they truly are: engineering landmarks that reshaped performance both on and off the stage.
And in that context, seeing two such cars cross the block in Monaco—during the Monaco Historic GP weekend likely is no coincidence with Audi’s arrival in the F1 paddock this season being one of the most talked-about stories in motorsport circles.
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