Few touring cars carry the kind of dual-continent significance that DJR1 does. The first of six Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworths built by Dick Johnson Racing, this red and yellow Shell-liveried machine competed at the sharp end of Australian and British touring car racing across two seasons before disappearing into private hands. Now it is coming back into the light.
Iconic Auctioneers will offer DJR1 at its Competition Car Sale, held at Silverstone’s BRDC Classic on 24 July 2026. The estimate sits between £400,000 and £450,000, or roughly A$770,000–$870,000.
A Car Built in Queensland, Raced Around the World
DJR1 was constructed in Queensland from an imported right-hand drive three-door bodyshell. It made its competition debut at Calder Park Raceway in Victoria, finishing ninth, before showing genuine pace at Lakeside Park in Queensland.
During the 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship season, the car recorded multiple pole positions and took an outright round win at Adelaide International Raceway, supporting that year’s Formula 1 Grand Prix. It finished sixth in the championship overall, a solid result for a new programme finding its feet.
For 1988, John Bowe took the wheel of DJR1 while Dick Johnson moved to DJR3. Bowe won at Winton and Amaroo in this car. Johnson, meanwhile, claimed the Australian Touring Car Championship outright, with the Shell Sierras winning eight of the nine rounds that season.
Four Wins in Britain Before Fading From View
At the end of 1988, DJR1 was sold to Trakstar Motorsport in the UK, run by Mike Smith and Robb Gravett. Gravett campaigned the car through the 1989 British Touring Car Championship, taking four wins and nine podiums on the way to fourth place overall.
That record (competitive on two continents, in two distinct championships) is what separates DJR1 from most Group A survivors. It was not a development mule or a spare chassis. It was a front-line race car that delivered results wherever it was entered.
Remarkably Original After Nearly Four Decades
What makes DJR1 particularly compelling for serious collectors is its state of preservation. The car retains its original bodyshell, engine, gearbox, rear axle, Harrop 9.0-inch rear differential, and Eggenberger suspension. It is presented as it appeared in 1987.
The catch, if there is one, is that the car has reportedly not been run in anger for more than a decade. A recommissioning will be needed before it turns a wheel in anger again, something any prospective buyer should factor into their thinking alongside the hammer price.
Iconic Auctioneers chairman Nick Whale described DJR1 as a car that speaks to serious collectors and enthusiasts alike, pointing to its racing history and originality as the key factors in its significance. That assessment is hard to argue with.
For the right buyer, DJR1 represents something increasingly rare: a historically important Group A car with a documented, verifiable competition record and the mechanical integrity to back it up. Bidder registration is open now through Iconic Auctioneers ahead of the 24 July sale.
