2001 Subaru Impreza P1

Description

A unicorn car - one lady owner from new and just 14,975 miles; totally unmolested - find another!?

Supplied new by Keith Price Garages Ltd of Abergavenny, Monmouthsire in March 2001 this Subaru Impreza P1 could be described as something of a ‘Unicorn’ car, given this particular example boasts just one lady owner from new and has covered just 14,975 miles – yes you read that correctly.

So intriguing is this Sonic Blue example, Octane magazine have visited and done an in-depth feature on the car, written by markets editor Matthew Hayward and photographed by the immensely talented Evo/Octane chief photographer Aston Parrott in their May edition – take a peek!

The car was bought new by our vendor and collected March 2001 and has been enjoyed sparingly with less and less use as the years went on and the value increased and the market woke up to what immensely capable cars they were.

Based on the Japan only Type-R 2-door coupe the P1 (Prodrive 1) was built by Prodrive and limited to just 1000 units and was the first official UK supplied 2-door Impreza.

Upgrades over the standard GC8 were immense, the 2.0 Boer engine was upgraded with a new ECU to bring power up to 276bhp and 253lb ft of torque in a lightweight 1295kg package meaning performance was impressive, the dash to 60mph possible in just 4.6 seconds  - almost a second quicker than a standard WRX STi.

The car’s dynamics were also improved by Prodrive who set the car up especially for UK roads with stiffer springs and dampers, thicker anti-roll bars and ABS but ditched the DCCD (driver controlled centre diff) which juggled torque between the front and rear, although the car remained all-wheel drive of course.

The styling was also enhanced, the body-kit/aero designed by Peter Stevens (think McLaren F1) which gives the car a wonderfully subtle yet aggressive stance and lightness of feel.

Inside, we find Prodrive embossed Alcantara and cloth sports seats, leather stitched steering wheel and gear knob, air conditioning, head lamp washers, electric windows and mirrors.  We also note fitment of an after-market radio/CD player for our vendor to enjoy the cricket on, although the original is present, boxed in the boot.

The car presents well and feels tight and lythe, with but a few minor marks to the paint/body as pictured – its been used and enjoyed and left original – little did she realise it would become such a hot and valuable cult car when she bought it.

The history file includes the V5C confirming what it is, and one owner, the book pack with additional P1 literature, the service book with three stamps; Tracker information; 6 old MOTs and the current MOT valid until December 2023 with no advisories recorded.  The car has since been looked after by her local garage and we are told some service invoices might be forth-coming. The MOT history shows how little mileage the car has been covering in recent years. 

An absolute find, the car is as we say, a Unicorn and likely to arouse considerable interest.

For more information contact - matsuri@brightwells.com