Fire up the Quattro: Rare car goes under the hammer
- Published
A red Audi Quattro was the car driven by Det Ch Insp Gene Hunt in the series Ashes to Ashes
A rare Audi Quattro prototype is to go under the hammer.
It is thought to be one of two right-hand drive pre-production Quattros remaining and is expected to fetch bids of between £50,000 to £60,000.
The 1982 model is one of the lots at the Silverstone Auctions September sale on Saturday in Warwickshire.
Those behind the sale said the vehicle's rarity and the model's appearances in TV shows, together with its rallying history make it popular.
Silverstone Auctions said the car was built in June 1982, supplied through Smithfield of Digbeth, Birmingham and first registered on 1 August that year - making it "highly likely" to be the first factory supplied right-hand drive UK car.
It is thought to be one of two 'C' chassis cars remaining, the other being in Scotland.
Although not the same colour, it is the model used by Det Ch Insp Gene Hunt in the BBC series Ashes to Ashes, spawning his catchphrase "Fire up the Quattro."
The car was purchased by its previous owner in 1997, then put in storage for 20 years, according to the auction house.
Silverstone Auctions said it was "highly likely" to be the first factory-supplied right-hand drive UK car
It said it was then bought by the seller in August 2016 and underwent "extensive re-commissioning work".
Spokesman Adam Rutter said there had been a lot of interest in the vehicle.
"If it was just a regular 1984 Quattro, we would have expected the estimate to be around £25,000 to £30,000," he said.
"But this is pre-production and likely to be the first right-hand drive model in the UK."
The Quattro is expected to fetch bids of between £50,000 to £60,000, according to the auctioneers