1/24 – Castrol Celica Toyota Celica GT-Four ’93 Monte-Carlo Rally Winner

Toyota had been a familiar maker on the scene at global rallies since the 1970s, and in 1992 their entrant was the Celica GT-FOUR (ST185), a highly capable car based around a 299hp 2-liter inline-four turbocharged engine and employing front and rear limited slip differentials with a hydraulic center differential. Like the road car it also employed MacPherson strut suspension, albeit lightened by the use of aluminum in strut cases and upper sections, and titanium in the stabilizer. In 1993 the car had a new livery in the colors of its sponsor Castrol, and in the first rally of the season in Monte-Carlo, driver D. Auriol overturned a 71-second deficit to take overall victory, a triumph that set the tone for Toyota’s season as teammate J. Kankkunen became champion driver and Toyota the champion manufacturer.