+19 Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Desert-devouring Citroën up for grabs with Broad Arrow Auctions
Broad Arrow has this exciting witness of the great Dakar days lined up for its new Villa d’Este auction in Italy, on May 24-25. This 1990 Citroën ZX Rallye Raid participated in three Dakar rallies.
The ZX was part of Citroën’s formidable assault on the world’s hardest rally-raid; the Paris-Dakar rally. Conceived by Thierry Sabine as the ultimate test of resilience for man and machine – traditionally departing from Paris on New Year’s Eve – the raid changed character when Jacky Ickx managed to persuade Porsche to take part. Porsche famously won in 1984 and 1986. The publicity of those wins – and the end of the Group B rally cars in 1986 – caught other manufacturers’ attention. Namely Jean Todt, who had the Group B Peugeot 205s converted to long-wheelbase desert raiders.
Inheriting the program
When, after four Dakar wins, Todt reoriented Peugeot sporting program towards the track and Group C prototypes, Citroën Sport inherited the program. Guy Fréquelin’s troops developed the ZX Rallye Raid, which would build out a successful career with four victories between 1991 and 1996. These were anything but walk-overs for the French squad, as they were confronted by an equally ambitious Mitsubishi team. This led to ever more powerful and faster Evo versions of the ZX and Pajero.
Vatanen
This car is chassis C05, which was campaigned for the first time in the 1990 Pharaohs Rally in Egypt, where Ari Vatanen and co-driver Bruno Berglund finished in fourth place. Incidentally, this was the only occasion between 1987 and 1991 when Vatanen didn’t win the Pharaohs Rally.
Just months later, early January 1991, C05 started its first Paris – Dakar, with Alain Ambrosino behind the wheel. Ambrosino was – since his days with Peugeot – the designated ‘assistance rapide’, running just behind the team leaders to help them if they ended up in trouble. On the second stage on the African continent, the four works Citroëns claimed 1-2-3-4 on the stage. It was anything but easy for Citroën, with Waldegaard and Ickx having to abandon after car fires on the same stage. Nonetheless, Vatanen won for Citroën, and Ambrosino came sixth.
Lartigue
In 1992, the raid went to Cape Town, South Africa instead of Dakar, Senegal. With a route covering 12,427 km (7721 miles), C05 – one of five works ZXs at the start – had Pierre Lartigue behind the wheel. Lartigue would become a triple winner with the ZX, but in 1992 with starting number 206, he came seventh. In 1993, Ambrosino drove C05 – now in Evo2 spec – to another Dakar finish, in seventh place once more. That would be the end of C05’s competitive career, which resided in Citroën’s heritage collection right up until 2011.
Restoration
Under its first private owner, C05 was sent to French multi talent Philippe Gache’s Team SMG Challenge, who took two years to restore the car. The 320hp, 2-litre turbo engine and the seven-speed transmission have all been overhauled, and many parts renewed.
Citroën – now part of the Stellantis consortium – has so far been reluctant to let go of these Dakar legends. Just 19 ZX Rallye Raids were left when the program ended in 1997, and I remember seeing a long line of them in Citroën’s Heritage hangar some eight years ago.
This one is one of few available, and in running condition, meaning it can be driven up the hill in Goodwood – which it did in 2021 – or participate in the Dakar Classic.
Compared to 2021, C05 has been returned to its Camel livery of the Pharaohs Rally in 1990, with Ari Vatanen. Given its scarcity, an estimate of €475,000 to €525,000 ($519,000 – $574,000) shouldn’t surprise. More on C05 here.
