25.08.2022Cult-coupe with cult-design: The DTM-Cliff-Calibra of JJ Lehto

There the Calibra had long been a fan favourite, because the coupe from Rüsselsheim belonged to the DTM inventory since 1993. The Finn JJ Lehto was one of the popular Calibra drivers. WERK83, a label from ck-modelcars, released his race car from the season 1995 as a model. 

When JJ Lehto entered the DTM, he came straight from Formula 1. From 1989 to 1994 the Finn drove 62 races in the premier class, six of them as a teammate of Michael Schumacher at Benetton. In 1991 he finished third on the podium in Imola, but there was no cockpit in Formula 1 for the 1995 season. Lehto's sponsor Keke Rosberg, who at the time competed in the DTM himself, advised his pupil to get involved in the German Touring Car Championship. The field was strong and the high-tech cars - in addition to the Calibra, the Mercedes C-Class and the Alfa Romeo 155 - were very demanding even by today's standards. For example, the Calibra's chassis was built by Williams, the high-revving 2.5 liter V6 engine came from Cosworth and the electronics came from Bosch.

Lehto drove one of the Opel Calibra from the team of Joest Racing. The car wore the striking, black design of shower gel producer Cliff, with which Manuel Reuter should win the following year of the ITC. Lehtos best result in 1995 was a fourth place directly at the starting weekend in Hockenheim. At the end of the season, he achieved over all position 13.

Even if there was no great success in the DTM, 1995 was a special year for Lehto. Parallel to his DTM commitment, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. In the years that followed, Lehto remained successful in sports car racing, including in the FIA GT and also in America. And the DTM chapter should also open up again. In 2002, the Finn competed with the Opel Euroteam at the race weekend on what is now the Red Bull Ring – the A1 Ring back then.

However, Lehto's most popular DTM-vehicle is probably the Cliff-Calibra from 1995. The iconic sponsor colors, the 90s-design and the characteristic V6-sound of the old DTM still inspire fans and collectors today. Even on the road, the coupe is not an everyday sight with a few thousand units still registered. All the better that the Calibra is now available for the showcase. The high-quality WERK83 model on a scale of 1:18 has steerable front wheels and a faithfully reproduced interior that is particularly easy to view with the doors that can be opened.

Finally, some useless knowledge: JJ Lehto's real name is Jyrki Juhani Järvilehto. His patron Keke Rosberg encouraged him to use an affable short form.

Opel Calibra V6 Ti DTM 1995 #20 JJ Lehto, RRP 69,95 €, item-no.: W1802001

produkter

J.J. Lehto #20 Opel Calibra V6 Team Joest DTM / ITC 1995 1:18 WERK83

62,96 €