Description:

1984 – Jules 2 Prototype Dakar 1984

 

Belgian registration title (see text)

Sold without contrôle technique

Châssis n° CE234Z110323(01)

 

The little sister of Jules, the iconic Rolls of the Sands, a true desert F1 and star of the 1984 Dakar...

 

-        January 1st, 1984, at misty dawn, Paris, Place du Trocadéro, gathering point for 427 cars, motorcycles, trucks and unidentified rolling machines. This is the start of the now traditional automotive event followed by the entire planet, the famous Paris-Dakar, born from the crazy ideas of guru Thierry Sabine. Among his disciples and friends, the no less remarkable Thierry de Montcorgé, with an actor's face and an adventurer's life, who is passionate about off-road, mechanics and avant-garde techniques. That morning, he is particularly anticipated, since he was one of the stars of the 1981 edition, at the wheel of the legendary Rolls Jules, a car brought back into the spotlight and sold a year ago by Aguttes. Back to January 1st, 1984, at misty dawn, in Paris, Place du Trocadéro: Thierry de Montcorgé makes his appearance at the wheel of a 6-wheeled machine, with futuristic and angular lines, a machine escaped from a Mad Max... We must go back to 1981 to understand its genesis.

-        After the success of the 1981 Paris Dakar, Thierry hears about the Beijing-Paris Motoring Challenge, a rally whose concept is to link the two capitals through the Soviet Union and Europe via virtually unknown tracks and through previously closed and unexplored territories. The myth of the route (already completed in 1907!), the harshness of the event (very different compared to Dakar), the established trust with Dior (one meeting would suffice to renew the partnership) very quickly decides Thierry de Montcorgé to embark on the adventure, and to tackle alone the construction of a custom-built machine. A titanic project. Sketches and drawings follow one another and the specifications are quickly defined: 6 wheels, 4 of which are driven, tubular chassis, kevlar bodywork, Chevrolet 5.7-liter V8 of 370 hp (like the Rolls) and greatly modified Porsche 930 4-speed gearbox, with interchangeable parts and suspension parts designed with calculated lesser resistance to act as a fuse and not damage chassis and running gear, disc brakes, dual 150-liter side tanks with aviation foam to prevent mass transfer, cozy and comfortable interior with constant pressurization system for the cabin... It's obvious, the one that will be baptized Jules 2 is custom-tailored for Beijing-Paris.

-        This is without counting on the cancellation, without postponement, of the event. Out of spite, Thierry decides to finish the construction of his prototype and honor the partnership concluded with Dior and Jules by entering the 1984 Dakar. But at that moment, Thierry knows that Jules 2 was not designed for Dakar. The only major change is logistical: a Renault Sinpar truck is entered to provide assistance for Jules 2. And that's where the troubles begin...

-        During the prologue, Jules 2 offers very good sensations to its crew (despite a slightly high weight due to the thickness of the Kevlar), and its support vehicle as well since it finishes 2nd in the truck category... Crossing France and the first Algerian stage confirm the first impressions and Thierry decides to attack in the 2nd stage, In-Salah-Tamanrasset, with 650 km of tracks on the program. The performances are there, with peaks at over 200 km/h, but this desert F1 eventually breaks several suspension elements, forced to wait for its support truck... which passes without stopping, its driver having forgotten his primary mission and now playing to win in his category. And even if at the stage finish, Thierry Sabine himself, beside himself with anger, sends the truck back to repair Jules 2, the damage is done, the sublime black prototype is out of time limits, out of the race... As in 1981, Thierry decides to cut across to reach the finish in Dakar and honor his contract with Dior. As in 1981, the media do their job, and the party lasts until dawn...

-        Long afterwards, Thierry would eventually sell his prototype (without engine) which would then have several lives before a Belgian enthusiast offered it a restoration worthy of its interest, re-motorized it with a compliant V8, and entered it... in the 2025 Morocco Desert Challenge! It is now ready to return to the tracks and notably join other legends at the start of the Dakar Classic for example...

 

Est. 350 000 – 450 000 €

 

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.
 

Keyword Search Terms:

Dakar, Rally Raid, Jules