This Subaru Was $40,000 New—Now It's Worth $437,000

The Subaru Impreza 22B was born collectible. Built in 1998 to mark Subaru's 40th anniversary and celebrate three back-to-back World Rally Championship constructors' titles, the 22B arrived already wearing legend status. It was the closest thing road users could get to the factory rally machines Colin McRae and Richard Burns were tearing up stages around the world, wearing those beefy, wide arches and a humongous rear wing. Now, one of only 16 examples earmarked for the UK market has surfaced on PistonHeads, listed at $437,000 — almost the same money as a brand new Ferrari 12Cilindri. With the import of these into the United States legally allowed as of 2023, it could be your chance to make your WRC dreams come true on the weekend.

What Makes This Particular Example Stand Out

This 1999 car, finished in Sonic Blue, has covered just 23,514 miles in 27 years. The seller, Auto Torque in Buckinghamshire, has been the car's long-term servicing partner, meaning they know this specific example intimately. The service history folder is comprehensive and goes back decades, covering everything from cambelts and gearbox rebuilds to a full cavity wax and underbody restoration carried out in 2020. Seven registered keepers are on file, but the seller clarifies that a couple of those reflect short-term transfers between friends rather than distinct ownership periods. Genuine four-owner history from new is the honest read. Notably, the car comes with four spare 22B wheels, a set of original 2.2-litre cylinder heads, and two personalised plates. The paintwork is spotless, too.

Why the Market Keeps Climbing

Just 424 examples of the 22B were produced in total. Around 399 numbered editions went to the Japanese domestic market, with 25 additional non-numbered export cars split between the UK and Australia. The entire run of Japanese examples sold out in under 48 hours, each at a price of ¥5,000,000, roughly $40,000 at the time. 

Under the hood sits a turbocharged 2.2-litre EJ22G flat-four, officially rated at 276hp, though real-world outputs are understood to run higher. The factory-widebody, uprated suspension, and WRC-derived styling made it unlike anything else wearing an Impreza badge. In the US, the average price of Impreza 22Bs now sits around $220,000. Colin McRae’s personal car (1-of-3 prototypes built) sold at Silverstone for $611,000 in 2023. At $437,000 with a pristine record, this UK-market car sits right in the middle of what the market has shown these cars can command.

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