Descrição
This car is Lot 136 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale on 6 February, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Tuesday 4 February from 08:00 until 18:00 and Wednesday 5 February from 9 AM - 6 PM, at The Grand Palais Historique, Paris.
Lot 136
Ex-Paris-Dakar with Patrick Tambay
1990 Range Rover Halt'up V8 T2
Registration no.
Chassis no. SALLHABM8GA406637
Halt'up no. 01
Genuine competition prototype
Unique Cantilever suspension
Driven by Patrick Tambay in the 1992 Paris-Dakar Rally
Eligible for the Dakar Classic
A particularly authentic model
French registration document
The Paris-Dakar Rally began in 1978 and quickly became one of the world's best known, and above all most difficult, races. Winning the Dakar became a goal of many constructors, as they saw in this rally a means of demonstrating not just performance, but above all the reliability of their vehicles, whether they be cars, trucks or motorbikes. It all started for Rover in 1979, when a barely optimised Range manned by Genestier, Lemordant and Terbiaut reached the finish line in first place. While the carmaker had never entered its vehicles for the race, it saw in this rally the potential to shine globally and provided some help in preparing Land and Range Rovers for rally raids, teaming up with small yet motivated French teams. First, René Metge and his Malakoff Autorama dealership took Range Rovers to Dakar, until their victory in 1981. However, competition became fierce, the Range needed to change, and René Metge got the call from Jacky Ickx in 1983 to take part in the Porsche Dakar project. As advised by Metge, Rover then called on Pascal and Dominique Vigneron, who had already provided assistance for the Autorama Range Rovers, had just set up business in the 15th arrondissement of Paris and were preparing to build rally raid Range Rovers, their speciality. In 1984, Patrick Zaniroli's Range Halt'up took second place, just behind René Metge's Porsche 953. After a difficult year in 1985, despite the media coverage of cars driven by Pescarolo or Depardieu, Halt'up set up in Les Ulis to prepare a new Range Rover. Gabreau and Ragnotti finished in 8th and 19th place in 1985, after some 15, 000km the Vigneron brothers still had work to do. In 1986, Gabreau won the Atlas, before leaving for Mitsubishi to set up an official team, taking with him the Pastis 51 budget. But Halt'up did not give up and used its contacts to bring in a certain Patrick Tambay, straight from Formula 1. 1987 marked the arrival of Peugeot and Jean Todt to the Dakar, yet Halt'up managed a respectable second place behind Vatanen for Peugeot. For 1988, it was from Peugeot that Halt'up purloined its sponsor, Camel, providing the preparer with a budget big enough to build four prototypes, including the one that Patrick Tambay took to an overall third place!
The Type T2-RR420 Range Rover, chassis 01 of 4 produced, was prepared by Halt'up in 1990, calling on suspension technology derived from motorbikes, and developed by Ignacio Bultó (founder of Bultaco) among others. While its appearance is that of a standard racing Range Rover, in truth it is a genuine prototype fitted with Cantilever or Tri-Lever suspension, with suspension arms whose axes are fixed to the centre of the chassis, all equipped with horizontal coilover shock absorbers. The engine is the famous 4. 2l V8 which, with various modifications, produced up to 280hp, fed by three segmented fuel tanks of 260l. The transmission is managed by a Santana gearbox, and 24-spline, self-locking front and rear axles, all cooled by two radiators. Thus equipped, the Range Halt'up could reach speeds of up to 126mph on the African roads.
In 1991, the car took part in the Paris-Dakar, driven by Ignacio Bultó and Ramón Termens, finishing 38th overall and 5th in the T2 class, with the Salvador Serviá and Jaime Puig duo winning the T2 class and coming 17th overall in a similar Range Rover. Still in 1991, Serviá and Puig took the wheel of this Halt'up, chassis 01, at the Spanish Baja. In 1992, the Range Rover took part in the Paris-Dakar race, again in the hands of Patrick Tambay, but unfortunately had to abandon due to gearbox failure. In 1993, it took part in the Tunisia Rally with Andre Rey and Alex Siegenthaler, finishing in 6th place. In 1996, it took part in the Atlas Rally, before ending its sporting career in 1999 and 2000 at the off-road 24 Hours, where the Madeline/ Quince/ Gripon team finished 40th. Having remained in a private collection since, the Range Halt'up was acquired by its current owner in 2022.
A rally raid and general automobile fan, this owner took on the restoration of the Range Rover, aiming to bring it back to its condition when it took part in the Paris-Dakar in 1991. As such, the chassis was restored with epoxy paint; the dual distribution braking system and the 4-piston Alcon callipers were serviced; the shock-absorption and suspension system was restored; the Santana gearbox was refurbished; the 4-pump fuel feeding system and the transmission cooling system were also serviced. Lastly, a full paint job in the original "Trident" livery finished off the refurbishment.
This piece of history will be sold with an extensive file including various historical and contemporary articles presenting chassis 01, as well as many photos taken when the car took part in the Paris-Dakar, the Baja, the Tunisia Rally, the Atlas and the off-road 24 Hours, as well as a file of invoices retracing the work undertaken between 2022 and 2024. Registered in France, it will also be sold with its French registration document (carte grise).
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
