As hillclimbs go it is fair to say that Pikes Peak is the Olympus of them all, a challenge to car and driver which these two beasts for sale with Iconic Auctioneers at Race Retro are well and truly up to.

The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), presented by Gran Turismo, also known as ‘The Race to the Clouds’, is an invitational automobile hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain in Colorado, USA. From the start at 9,400ft, the 12.42 mile course has 156 bends and finishes at 14,115ft, a climb of over 4,700ft, not far short of a mile vertically. If you were in an unpressurised aeroplane at that height, you would have been wearing an oxygen mask for some time, so setting up an internal combustion engine to run on reduced oxygen levels can be complex.

The Bentley Continental GT3 comes from a long-term Bentley enthusiast and his Derbyshire-based business, FastR, who has been involved in the preparation of cars for the British Drift Championship and the Time Attack Championship for many years. In late 2018, he acquired this Continental GT3-R to run in Time Attack during 2019 with support from Roger Clark Motorsport and M-Sport and running the car unrestricted, putting out around 750bhp, they won at a number of circuits, setting many new lap records along the way and winning the 2019 Time Attack Championship.

Bentley had been keeping an eye on their performances and at the end of the late 2019 meeting, a collaboration was agreed, that Bentley would prepare and run (in conjunction with FastR and Roger Clark Motorsport) our vendor’s car in an attempt on Pikes Peak in 2020 and hopefully return with the third piece of silverware to sit in the Boardroom Trophy Cabinet forever. Having piloted the Bentayga and Continental GT to wins, Kiwi veteran, twice 'King of the Mountain', Rhys Millen agreed to drive again. The agreement was that Bentley would cover the majority of the development, testing and running costs associated with the event with our vendor making a proportional contribution. But Covid pushed to 2020 event to 2021.

Then ice at the top of the mountain meant that the event was shortened. Just a few miles short of the finish line a simple backfire, meaning a loss of pressure, meant that Rhys was only able to complete the run using lower gears for the last few miles. The car still won the 'Development Fuel' Class, but having set record times in all three stages of testing in the days prior, who knows, it would almost certainly have broken all records but alas, it was not to be and it finished just five seconds short of a Porsche GT2 RS.

So here is an amazing opportunity to own a unique piece of Bentley history. The Pikes Peak Special, built by the factory to be the most extreme Bentley GT3 ever, with a build cost of over £1,000,000 and the final, ultimate incarnation of an internal combustion engine-powered competition car from the home of W.O.Bentley. Completely stripped and rebuilt, in 'as new' condition, and ready to join a world-class Collection or return to Pikes Peak. Should the purchaser request an invitation, and we are told that Pikes Peak legend, Rhys Millen, would love to drive it again and is, without doubt, the best man for the job.

More about this car can be found here: https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/2018-bentley-continental-gt3-rec14594-1-stoneleigh-0225?pn=1&el=31967&pp=100 and a video covering the race (2) The Biggest, Baddest Bentley Takes On Pikes Peak | Mobil 1 The Grid - YouTube

This second Pikes Peak Car coming to auction at Race Retro is this Audi, purpose-built to take on one of the world’s greatest motor sport challenges. Iconic Auctioneers are delighted to be able to offer Keith Edward's legendary 800bhp-plus, SWB Audi S1. It was initially purchased by garage owner and rally driver Keith as a family road car but there were always lots of cars around and the Audi was eventually hardly used. Passionately interested in motorsport, Keith was staring at the car one day and considering selling it, but then he thought that it might be fun to prepare it for a bit of hill climbing at local club level. There simply is not space here to cover the next 30 years of the Quattro's history but a lot of it is available on some much-watched videos and magazine articles.

Success at club level led to the car being developed further and further as Keith is a talented and innovative engineer, until it was so competition-focused that it was no longer practical to run it as a road-registered car. It enjoyed Ten years in the British Hillclimb Championship, a further four or five enjoying invitation events around Europe and finally the ultimate accolade, an invitation from Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to take part in 'The Race to the Clouds'.

The Audi was shipped to Colorado Springs in both 2018 and 2019, however neither year was to bring fulfilment, with the car overheating in 2018 (subsequently sorted after testing at Blyton Park, pre-COVID) and despite good practice runs in 2019, the clouds closed in on Race Day and that was that. Whilst intending to return in 2020, COVID regulations, increasing costs and lack of time mean that Keith has sadly made the decision that after 30-plus years, having accomplished everything else, he and his beloved Audi will have to part ways.

We understand that the Audi would be welcome again at Pikes Peak with Keith having received another invitation recently or, closer to home, would be welcome here in the UK at club level hill climbs, sprints or even Time Attack. UK-registered and road-legal (subject to a few sensitive modifications) it could be used on the road driving to events, but equally it could just be a perfect showpiece in any serious Collection.

This car has been viewed more than 2,000,000 times on YouTube and has been magazine-featured all over the globe. It's accompanied by 18 box files of history, entry forms, programmes, results sheets and 30 years of correspondence, MSA paperwork, logbooks etc.

These two cars will be auctioned at a dedicated Collections’ & Competition Car Sale at Race Retro on Saturday 22nd February at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. Full details about the auction along with the other 100+ cars in the Sale can be viewed at www.iconicauctioneers.com. Viewing in person is also available at the auction venue on Friday 21st February. For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +44 (0) 196 691 141. Bidding is available in the Saleroom or for those unable to attend the event; online, by telephone or via commission bid.

For more information please contact:
Gary Dunne - Car Specialist
07740 946796
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