The 1984 Rallye de Portugal – Vinho do Porto was Round 3 of the FIA World Rally Championship, run from 6 to 11 March over 45 stages and 685 competitive kilometres of asphalt and gravel, headquartered at Estoril. Among the field was car No. 24, an Audi 80 Quattro entered by the Vasp-Guerin Rally Team and crewed by Manuel Mello Breyner and co-driver Miguel Vilar. Trofeu, itself a Portuguese manufacturer with over three decades of WRC subject specialisation, has captured this particular car in its DSN43 resin collection — a fitting pairing of national heritage on both sides of the model.
The Audi 80 Quattro B2: Production Hardware in a WRC Field
The Audi 80 Quattro (Typ 81/85) was built on the VW B2 platform as a four-door steel monocoque saloon, measuring 4,383 mm in overall length, 1,682 mm wide, with a 2,525 mm wheelbase and a kerb weight of 1,190 kg. Power came from a naturally aspirated 2,144 cc inline-five producing 136 PS at 5,900 rpm and 176 Nm at 4,500 rpm via Bosch K-Jetronic injection, paired with Audi's permanent quattro all-wheel drive and manual centre and rear differential locks. Group N4 regulations mandated near-standard road specification, so the Vasp-Guerin car ran essentially as the factory built it — no power modifications permitted.
13th Overall, First in Class: Mello Breyner's Group N4 Victory
Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz won the 1984 Rally Portugal outright in an Audi Quattro A2, finishing in an elapsed time of approximately 7:35:32. Car No. 24 crossed the line 13th overall with a total elapsed time of 9:51:43, placing it 2 hours and 16 minutes behind the winner — yet first among every Group N4 competitor. The night-version designation refers to the auxiliary driving lights mounted at the front of the car for nocturnal special stages, a configuration that distinguishes No. 24 visually from the same car in daylight trim. The white and blue Vasp-Guerin livery reflected the team's Portuguese commercial backing.
Trofeu DSN43: Resin Precision at 1:43
Trofeu has produced 1:43 scale model cars since 1990 and remains one of the few manufacturers to concentrate almost exclusively on WRC subjects. The DSN43 collection is the company's resin and 3D-printed range, distinct from their earlier die-cast rally series. This edition is strictly limited to 150 units, a run size consistent with the DSN43 programme's approach to low-volume, specialist subjects. The white and blue livery of the Vasp-Guerin entry is reproduced in resin, and the model is rendered in night-stage specification with the auxiliary lamp array in place.
In the Display Cabinet
At 1:43, the model measures approximately 10.0 cm in length — calculated directly from the real car's 4,383 mm overall length divided by 43 — making it straightforward to house in a standard 1:43 rally display case. It pairs naturally with the Trofeu Audi Quattro A2 No. 1 (Mikkola/Hertz, outright winner of the same event) to recreate the 1984 Rally Portugal field in miniature, or alongside the Audi 80 Quattro No. 25 from the 1985 Rally Portugal, where Mello Breyner again took Group N4 honours. For the collector focused on Portuguese WRC history or Group N competition, No. 24 from March 1984 occupies a specific and documented place in that record.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the 1:43 scale model?
The real Audi 80 Quattro (Typ 81/85) measures 4,383 mm in overall length. At 1:43 scale that works out to approximately 10.0 cm, which requires only a modest shelf or display case depth — a standard 1:43 rally vitrine accommodates it comfortably alongside other models in the same scale.
Does the model have opening parts?
No opening parts have been confirmed for this model. As part of Trofeu's DSN43 resin series, the body is a fixed, sealed unit; the detail is concentrated on the exterior surfaces, including the white and blue Vasp-Guerin livery and the auxiliary driving lights characteristic of the night-stage specification.
What material is the model made from?
The model is part of Trofeu's DSN43 collection, which uses resin and 3D-printed construction — not die-cast metal. Resin allows finer surface detail at 1:43 scale, particularly for the small-diameter lamp pods and bodywork contours of the Audi 80 saloon.
What was Car No. 24's actual result at the 1984 Rally Portugal?
Manuel Mello Breyner and Miguel Vilar finished 13th overall with a total elapsed time of 9:51:43, placing them 2 hours and 16 minutes behind outright winner Hannu Mikkola. They were classified first in the Group N4 class — the top result among all production-specification competitors at that WRC round.
