The car famously competed in the South African WesBank Modified Racing Series
Often referred to as the “Golden Era” of South African motorsport, the WesBank Modified Saloon racing series, held between 1986 and 1994, hosted as many characters and intense inter-driver rivalries as it did incredibly powerful modified racing cars. Including South African racing royalty Sarel van der Merwe, Tony Viana, Willie Hepburn, Ben Morgenrood, Terry Moss, Chris Aberdein, and Deon Joubert, this racing series captivated local audiences with fierce on-track battles and an ear-churning soundtrack.
Within a field that included the mighty BMW 535i, Ford Sapphire Cosworth, and screaming 3-rotor rotary-engined Mazda 323TRS, none could match the allure of the fire-spitting Audi S4 GTO, which made its debut at Cape Town’s Killarney Racing Circuit in 1992, with German Hans-Joachim Stuck behind the wheel. Complete with a striking silver and red Audi Sport livery, the car would go on to win both races on the day.
Later raced by Chris Aberdein, the S4 GTO featured a 2.2-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine from the IMSA GTO, producing 530 kW and 720 N.m, delivered to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission and Audi’s Quattro system. It is fitted with a full FIA-specification roll cage, lightweight composite body panels, and IMSA-style wide-body aero.
The car was instantly distinguishable among the field thanks its imposing stance and famous “turbo-flutter”, the sound it made when the turbos spooled.
Finished in the Rothmans livery as raced by Aberdein in his championship-winning 1993 season, the first of only remaining examples of the two Audi S4 GTOs built for this series, chassis #001, is now being offered via a sealed-bid auction hosted by Collecting Cars in the UK. A sealed-bid auction is a process where bidders submit confidential, best-and-final offers by a set deadline without knowledge of competing bids.
The result of the auction will be unveiled on 6 March 2026.
Ian McLaren has more than 25 years of experience as a motoring journalist. Here, he will be compiling a series of articles documenting his learning curve when it comes to all things auction. Find him on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @IanMcLaren76.
These articles aim to offer insights only and in no way encourage reckless or hit-and-miss purchasing decisions.