1985 Ex-Works 'Group A' Toyota Supra Raced by Barry Sheene

This is the ex-Works 'Group A' Toyota Supra (#00056255) raced by the late, great ex-Motorcycle World Champion, Barry Sheene, in period. It features a 2,759cc, straight-six, DOHC 'Group A' Toyota engine and was raced by Barry in the 1985 BTCC, known then as the Trimoco RAC British Saloon Car Championship.

Two years prior in 1983, Toyota UK had first entered a Supra in the BTCC, prepared by Hughes of Beaconsfield and driven by the legendary Win Percy. Their early successes included sixth at the Silverstone GP support and a third at Donington Park. Win carried on as the official Toyota Works driver, helping with the car's development for a second season in 1984, which resulted in a pole position and win at Brands Hatch and a pole and second position at Donington Park.

By 1985, the future champion and future star of 'Group C' and Le Mans, Win Percy, had decided to move on from Toyota, however Hughes of Beaconsfield were still running the car for Toyota UK with Gordon Mayers still as Team Manager. At the same time, Barry Sheene was retiring from professional motorcycle Grand Prix racing and won the hotly contested Toyota works drive, following outings in the BTCC with the smaller Corolla and also following a specific test at Goodwood where he was just 0.4 seconds slower than Win!

A fine fifth place at the opening Silverstone round was a good start, then a DNF at Oulton was followed by an impressive third place at Thruxton. However, following Donington Park the next round, also at Thruxton, was to be eventful. A first lap six-car crash left the car badly damaged and it had to be hastily re-shelled for the next round at Silverstone only two weeks later where it impressively achieved third place overall in the hands of Sheene. Chassis #0056255 is this re-shelled car driven by Barry for the remainder of the season, regularly achieving top six results.

Vehicle registration records show chassis number #0056255 was finally sold on 1st February 1987 by Toyota GB Ltd to Diamond Motorsport and it still carries a current SORN V5. The car was validated by Gordon Mayers who was Team Manager in period. In 2016 the car was invited to the Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of the Barry Sheene Tribute.

We offered the car for sale in July 2021 and at that time wrote 'This famous car is currently 'on the button' with a fresh 'Group A' engine, correct cams, 11.6:1 compression ratio, cast-manifold and correct plenum. It was recently dyno’d at Northampton Motorsport and was producing 225bhp/207lb.ft of torque at 6,500rpm. The gearbox is a rare W50 unit with Quaife close-cut gears, recently rebuilt and with the car are spare wheels fitted with wets and a quantity of spares'. We understand this is still the case and it ran at the recent Super Touring event at Brands Hatch completing two or three demonstration laps much to the enjoyment of the many Barry Sheene fans in a substantial crowd. 

This is an important race car, once pedalled with alacrity by the much missed Barry Sheene, and still finished in the correct Hughes of Beaconsfield livery with Barry's lucky number '7'. We can't help but feel that it's about time that it was seen out and about again.