Highlights
- 260bhp Subaru STI-engined Avante
- Built by kit car guru Simon Shelding
- Work documented by Complete Kit Car magazine
- Only 400 miles since completion
- Fully rebuilt with Red 9 subframes and Subaru 5spd transaxle
The Appeal
For the world of kit car enthusiasts, any Simon Shelding project is a car to put down your coffee for and take note. He made his name with a run of specials plus the highly regarded Red 9 engineering business.
This Avante is believed to have been his final project. The specification is impeccable: there’s a 2litre Subaru Gen 1 STI Boxer engine behind the driver - pumping out 260bhp - mated to a Subaru 5spd transaxle gearbox. Elsewhere you’ll find tasty features like a pair of Red 9 subframes and a bespoke exhaust system. Aficionados will spot the clever Shelding ‘Easter eggs’ linked to his obsession with the number nine. For the rest of us, the stats speak for themselves: there’s more power here than a 308GTB and the power to weight ratio rivals a Lotus Exige.
If the Avante isn’t familiar to you, then it is perhaps no surprise. It is very rare. Designed as the more practical successor to the wild Nova, it replaced that car’s one-piece pop-up cabin with more practical doors. Looking at the svelte lines of this example, you have to wonder why it wasn’t more successful: it is gorgeous.
This car’s build was documented in Complete Kit Car magazine from 2018 to 2021 and there is a lengthy article about it in the photographs. It has covered just 400 miles since completion. The condition across the exterior, interior and mechanicals reflects the quality build and sparing use.
This is a car that will start conversations wherever it parks or fuels. And, no doubt, a quizzical eyebrow from fellow road users it has the potential to regularly embarrass.
History and Paperwork
- Based on a Volkswagen Beetle that was first registered in 1972
- First UK registered April 1973
- Previously painted blue which was re-registered white in May 2021
- 11 UK keepers
- Restored and converted y Simon Shelding between 2018 and 2021
- Build documented in Complete Kit Car ‘Running Reports’ since 2018
- Multi-page article on this car in CKC in October 2021 on completion
- Copy of this article is in history file and shown in photos
- Further CKC magazines covering Running Reports also included
- Photographs of the car at a show prior to restoration and rebuild
- Reported to have been serviced by Simon prior to current keeper acquiring it in 2024
- Vendor tells us that the history file spans the last seven years
- Believed to have been the final build of Simon Shelding and his most extreme project
- We are told the car has covered 400 miles since completion
- Not driven by seller due to illness and for sale for same reason
- We are advised that there may be some work to do by the buyer
Specification summary:
- Red 9 front and rear subframes
- Double wishbone suspension
- Bespoke carbon fibre bucket racing seats
- LED tail lights
- BBS Crossflow replica Lenzo wheels
- Toyo R888R trackday tyres
- Momo Prototipo steering wheel
- Trigger handbrake
- Martini livery
- Subaru Impreza Gen 1 STI 260bhp turbocharged flat four
- Subaru 5spd transaxle gearbox
- Bespoke exhaust system
- Disc brakes all round
The Condition
- Stand-out rare Avanti fibreglass body originally painted red
- Vinyl wrapped in white with Martini livery
- Vinyl wrap in good order with small points to note in photos such as to headlamp shrouds
- Smart Martini livery to wings
- Lenzo BBS-replica alloy wheels with quality Toyo R88R tyres
- Design includes references to the number nine, a Shelding theme
- LED rear lights and custom mesh engine cover
- Removable engine cover and mesh grille for easier access
- Small crack reported in front screen but not in driver's vision
- Vendor advises that the screens for the car are still available to buy easily
- Spartan interior with various carbon fibre elements to doors, seats and gear lever
- Bespoke Carbon Fibre bucket seats, Momo wheel and Trigger handbrake
- Cabin is well kept and specified for trackdays or road use
- Momo Prototipo wheel with buttons for 'fly by wire' features' as shown in photos
The Mechanics
- Turbocharged flat four Subaru STI 2litre 260bhp engine
- Subaru 5spd gearbox with transaxle
- Bespoke exhaust system
- Disc brakes to front and rear wheels
- Red 9 front and rear subframes
- Rebuilt or new suspension as shown in photographs
- Vendor advises that he has not driven it and it may require some fettling
- Serviced by previous keeper, who built it
- Only 400 miles covered since completion
BEFORE YOU BUY
This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:
✓ The seller is registered as a private seller which means consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not come into effect. However, you are still covered by Car & Classic’s own Terms and Conditions..
✓ We request that a non-refundable fee be paid if you are the lucky winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted Please refer to our helpful FAQs and T&Cs for specific rates.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is Where Is’ basis and without warranty. Photos and descriptions are solely for guidance purposes and it's customary to carry out a full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase for your own peace of mind.
✓ VAT is included in the buyer's deposit. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing.
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or delivery. Importing vehicles may result in additional customs duties and import taxes so it’s worth checking beforehand.. If requested, we may refer you to a third-party shipping company who can help. For more details and to speak to the team, email [email protected]
