Jules II Proto, one of the strangest prototypes to race the Dakar Rally, will go up for auction on October 11 as part of Aguttes on Wheels’ event at Brussels Autoworld. It is expected to go for roughly €350 thousand to €450,000.

The six-wheeled car was made by Thierry de Montcorgé for the 1984 Paris–Dakar, the sequel to the “Jules” Rolls-Royce Corniche he entered in 1981. It was originally supposed to race in a revival of the Peking to Paris by Dakar organizer Thierry Sabine’s TSO, but that was canceled so Jules II instead went to Dakar.

Built over 18 months, it is a 6×4 vehicle powered by a 5.7-liter Corvette V8 engine at the rear and two 156-liter fuel tanks. The four-wheel-drive came from a Toyota Land Cruiser, while de Montcorgé sourced the five-speed transmission from a Porsche 935. The suspension surrounding the innards was a tubular frame and a semi-monocoque Kevlar body. Jules II weighed roughly 1,400 kilograms when empty, and could go as fast as 200 km/h.

Equipment like spare tires were stored in the bed at the back, and de Montcorgé prided himself in that many of the car’s components were interchangeable. A special alternator was also included.

Alas, Jules II did not reach the finish. A chassis failure struck during Stage 3 (Aïn Salah to Tamanrasset) to knock de Montcorgé out. It was subsequently abandoned, stripped of its engine, and cycled through a myriad of collectors.

Pieter Peerlings subsequently got his hands on the car, which his Sir Norman Lewis Racing Team and Vintage Garage restored. In April, Jules II raced for the first time in 41 years when Peerlings entered the Morocco Desert Challenge.

Competing in the new Vintage Car class, Peerlings and Jules II held up well early on before the control arm broke. Consequently, Jules II’s finish rate remains at zero percent. Despite the DNF, Peerlings appreciated his time in the six-wheeler.

De Montcorgé was also pleased to see his creation come back to life, saying he was “very happy to see this car running again.”

Upon being repaired, Jules II was brought out to events like the Le Mans Classic. After a final cleanup, the team feels it’s ready for a new owner.

Jules II won’t be the only rally raider at the October 11 auction as the very first Citroën ZX Rallye Raid will also be up for sale.

Featured image credit: Drouot