Estimated Price: £28,000 - £32,000

Few manufacturers have managed to transfer their competition success to the road quite as convincingly as Subaru. From the early 1990s through to 2008, the blue and gold Imprezas of the World Rally Championship became part of the sport’s fabric. The road cars carried much of that magic and formula with them. The WRX - World Rally Experimental - was the production expression of that competition programme, but it was the STi - Subaru Tecnica International - that took it a step closer to the cars we saw competing in the WRC at the same time. 

The second generation Impreza arrived in 2000 and, although the early ‘Bugeye’ styling divided opinion, Subaru moved quickly to sharpen the car’s appearance and market appeal. The UK300 helped restore momentum, with Prodrive influence, larger spoilers and enhanced road presence, while the WRX STi Type UK soon followed as the officially imported, UK-market flagship. Crucially, these Type UK cars were supplied new through Subaru’s official UK dealer network differentiating them from the many imported Japanese Domestic Market examples.

By 2003, the facelifted ‘Blobeye’ Impreza had addressed much of the earlier criticism. With its more resolved front end styling, reshaped headlamps, more aggressive grille and bumper treatment, revised bonnet and cleaner rear light clusters, the design became far more cohesive. 

Under the bonnet of the WRX STi Type UK sits Subaru’s 2.0-litre turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, driving all four wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox. Contemporary figures put output in the region of 265bhp coupled with the unmistakable off-beat Subaru soundtrack that defined a generation of performance motoring. 

The 2005 example presented here in the iconic colour combination of World Rally Blue Pearl with Gold wheels and black cloth is perhaps difficult to repeat. Incredibly this Impreza is offered with zero former keepers, with its original owner acquiring the Subaru on the 27th June 2005 from the supplying dealer Triangle of Chesterfield. 

At the time of cataloguing, the Impreza had covered just 28,600 miles, an incredible number given that the majority of these were ‘used as intended, and fully supported by its accompanying service file. 

The neatly organised owners file contains its original dealer book packs, Impreza handbook, Subaru servicing book showing six stamps and a number of MOT Certificates and service invoices. Further invoices showing additional engine services are on file, notably a new cambelt at 17,856 miles along with an engine service, new spark plugs and fresh fluids including the coolant, rear differential oil and brake fluid.

For many enthusiasts, this is the Subaru sweet spot: compact, turbocharged, manual, four-wheel drive and unmistakably STi. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a UK- supplied, top of the range Impreza WRX STi, exceptionally well preserved and rarely seen in this condition with this ownership history.