Description:

1990 – Citroën ZX Rallye Raid Prototype

 

French registration title in the name of Automobiles Citroën, cancelled upon previous transfer

Sold without contrôle technique

Châssis n° VF7RTIGR090GR0001

 

The first of all ZX Rally Raids, the purest with its wide tracks, as yet without any honours: it's up to you to write its history.

 

-        In the early 1980s, motorsport governing bodies gave rise to the most demonic rally cars by creating Group B. Cars falling under this new classification, which was very liberal in terms of power, transmission and weight, simply had to be built in 200 units, with around 20 of them upgraded and christened Évolution, eligible to compete in the World Rally Championship. This category made a particular mark on the sport and on people's minds, as the vehicles achieved record power levels (over 500 hp, an insane figure for the time), but also because of its fatal accidents, which led to its ban in May 1986, effective 1 January 1987.

-        The Audi Quattro, Renault 5 Turbo, Lancia Delta and 037, Ford RS200, Metro 6R4 and Peugeot 205 T16 found a second life in the European Rallycross Championship. Peugeot was the only manufacturer looking for a second playing field for its 205 T16s. The Lion brand, led by Jean Todt, decided to turn its attention to rally raids, which were very popular at the time, and more specifically to the legendary Paris-Dakar rally. And so, in 1987, the 205 T16 Grand Raid, adapted to the difficult conditions of African tracks and deserts, won the Dakar and the Pharaohs Rally ‘easily’ in the hands of Ari Vatanen, while Juha Kankkunen repeated the feat in 1988. For 1989, Peugeot developed the 205 to promote the 405: the 405 Turbo 16 Grand Raid was born and won the 1989 and 1990 editions with a driver at the peak of his art and glory, Ari Vatanen, at the wheel.

-        First appearing in 1990 at the Baja Aragon in Spain, the Citroën ZX Rallye Raid took over from the Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 when Peugeot decided to leave rally raids to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Guy Frequelin, an experienced rally driver, formed Citroën Sport. He brought in Ari Vatanen, recruited Pierre Lartigue, and fitted the Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 chassis with the ZX that Citroën was about to unveil. It was a trial run that proved to be a masterstroke: this brand new ZX Rally Raid, derived from the defunct Gr. B, went on to win the Baja Aragon, the Paris-Dakar, and the Pharaons... The legend was born, and Citroën's success in rally raids continued: from 1993 onwards, the brand took the lead in the World Rally Raid Cup and remained there until 1997, with the unbeatable ZX, first in yellow (Camel), then red (due to the Evin law).

-        The ultimate evolution of the Peugeot 205/405 T16, the ZX Rallye Raid is a distillation of the best technologies of the 1990s. It features very high ground clearance, suspension with incredible travel, four-wheel drive, a 2-liter then 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in a transverse, rear-center position, transverse gearbox with front and rear limited-slip differentials, dual-circuit ventilated disc brakes with in-cabin distributor, carbon/Kevlar bodywork: the car built by Peugeot and developed by Citroën left its rivals with little chance...

-        The factory's official records show that 29 ZX Rally Raid chassis were built, all models combined. The 1990 model evolved with wider tracks during the 1992 season (Evo 2), benefiting from further improvements until the final Evo 5 in 1995 (four spare wheels on board, further optimized suspension). Some chassis had several lives. The car featured on these pages is none other than the very first ZX Rallye Raid ever built, chassis number C01... It was registered on June 22, 1990, under the number 4505 TX 92, which it still bears today. As a development car, it was used for most of the factory's tests and still has its original 1991 cm3 XU9 engine. The first wide-track series, like C01, are the most beautiful and purest of the ZX Rallye Raid. This car has no racing history and is just waiting for its next owner to write the first lines of its story, perhaps in the Dakar Classic, following in the footsteps of its little sisters...

 

Est. 350 000 – 450 000 €HT

 

This car will be sold by auction by AGUTTES Auction House, in Brussels, Belgium, on October the 11th, 2025 at Autoworld Museum.

The digital catalog is available on our website : https://www.aguttes.com/catalogue/167328?lang=fr&search=&offset=0&max=50

Please contact us for any further details.
automobiles@aguttes.com

Keyword Search Terms:

Dakar, Rally Raid, Citroën, ZX, Grand Raid