Bidding has officially started on the Mitsubishi Motors heritage fleet auction. The 14-car lineup is being offered with no reserve, and will continue till the end of the month. Early indications are as predicted: the Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition car, owned by Mitsubishi since new and sparsely used, will inevitably be the star of the show. Less than 48 hours in and it has already attracted a leading bid of £60,000. Given its rarity and supreme status in the manufacturer's history books, there really is no telling where it might end up.
The other Evos in the lineup are doing rather well, too. The IX MR FQ-360 HKS, which we drove for a PH Heroes feature a few years ago - and adored - is currently on £45k, while the one-of-40 X FQ440 is at £36,100. Plainly these were always destined to be the big-money candidates - but there is still the chance to grab a comparative bargain. The Galant Rally car, liveried as it was in '89, is presently at £3,200. Let's just say it's caught the interest of more than one PH staffer this morning.
It's heartening to see interest across the board, not least because these cars are all special in their own right, having been cherry picked from the market (or production line) over the years to join the Mitsubishi UK heritage fleet. With the Japanese manufacturer departing the UK by the end of 2021, these cars will all head off in their own directions, potentially including out of the country. But the speed of bidding suggests the buyers, wherever they hail from, will all be proper enthusiasts - and certainly cars like the Shogun have their own devoted following.
It goes without saying that we'll keep our eyes on the auction - not least because we're fascinated with how much cars like the Starion will go for - and report back before the hammer comes down on the lots. Of course if anyone would like to hazard a guess at the amount the TME (one signed by Makinen himself, let's not forget) will eventually fetch, you're welcome to get guessing in the comments. We're obviously waiting for our numbers to come up on Saturday...
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