2002 MITSUBISHI PAJERO MPR 9 EX PARIS-DAKAR 2002 ET 2003 VAINQUEUR DU RALLYE DE TUNISIE 2002

2nd in Paris-Dakar, 2002 and 2003
Winner of Rallye de Tunisie, 2002
Reconditioned in 2018
Sold with large stock of important parts

Chassis N°JMBLNV78W1J003035
French registration

Everyone knows the Paris-Dakar, of course...and everyone equally knows of Mitsubishi's success in rallies and what the French call rally-raids.
But not many people know how the link between Mitsubishi and rally-raids came about in the first place.
In the small town of Pont-de-Vaux, north of Mâcon, lives the Maingret family. In the motor-sport world everyone knows of them. Son Bernard learnt to be a mechanic at his father Charles's Renault garage when he was still in short trousers. Military service over, he began with motorbikes with his brother Christian, who prepared the works Yamahas for the 1976 Abidjan-Nice raid.
Driving a back-up truck that he prepared himself, he was still working with Christian in 1978, looking after the five works Yamaha XTs.
Christian was known to be a gifted motorcycle mechanic, but Bernard's skill at preparing the back-up vehicles soon came to people's notice as well. So it was that in 1982 the boss of Mitsibishi-France made contact to show him the first Pajero - Shogun for the British - that had been imported into Europe. Two days later Bernard Maingret had signed his first contract with Mitsubishi, to prepare the four works Pajeros for the 1983 Paris-Dakar. The results of the venture were more than encouraging, with an 11th overall and a first-in-class for the best-performing of the four cars entered.
In 1985, with the support of Mitsubishi, Bernard left the family garage and set up shop in new premises as Bernard Maingret (SBM). With a workshop staff of up to 45, he spent the next 20 years preparing Mitsubishi's entries on the Dakar and other rally-raids.
The car we are presenting is a genuine works Mitsubishi Pajero MPR9 4x4 prepared by Bernard Maingret. It was developed for the 2002 Paris-Dakar and driven to second place by Jutta Kleinschmidt in a 1-2-3 finish for Mitsubishi. That same year, with Stéphane Peterhansel at the wheel, it won the Optic 2000 Rallye de Tunisie and in 2003, driven by Jean-Pierre Fontenay, it again finished second on the Paris-Dakar, bringing to a close its use on headline rally-raids.
Brought back to as-new condition at the beginning of 2018, it retains its original 2003 Dakar livery and carbonfibre-Kevlar body and always attracts plenty of attention when taken out. The 3500cc petrol engine develops 300bhp - with a restrictor in place! - and the mechanicals are all in marvellous order for anyone wanting to compete in the car. With this in mind, the Pajero is being sold with a large stock of spare parts. The list is impressive and represents an investment of approaching 40,000 €, so there need be no worries about using this MPR9 in whatever rally-raids take your fancy.