1992 Williams-Renault FW14B

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 5, 2019

Williams was a star in F1 in the early 1990s. Part of that had to do with the fact that Adrian Newey was designing their cars. The Williams FW14 was for 1991 season and was updated to FW14B-spec for 1992. And it was a beast.

Team drivers Riccardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell managed to win the constructors championship while utilizing the six “B” chassis built for the season. This was the first car designed by Newey and it rocked. It’s probably the best car Williams has ever fielded.

Power is from a 3.5-liter V10 capable of 760 horsepower – at 14,500 rpm! Usually publicly-owned F1 cars have replacement engines, but this one is the real deal, carrying the motor Mansell used to win the opening round of the championship. The competition history for this chassis includes:

• 1992 South African Grand Prix – 1st (with Nigel Mansell)
• 1992 Mexican Grand Prix – 1st (with Mansell)
• 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix – 1st (with Mansell)
• 1992 Spanish Grand Prix – 1st (with Mansell)
• 1992 San Marino Grand Prix – 1st (with Mansell)
• 1992 Monaco Grand Prix – 2nd (with Mansell)
• 1992 Canadian Grand Prix – 23rd, DNF (with Mansell)
• 1992 British Grand Prix – 2nd (with Riccardo Patrese)
• 1992 German Grand Prix – 8th (with Patrese)
• 1992 Hungarian Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Patrese)
• 1992 Belgian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Patrese)
• 1992 Italian Grand Prix – 5th (with Patrese)
• 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix – 19th, DNF (with Patrese)

The car was then mostly destroyed in an airborne accident at Estoril when Patrese hit Gerhard Berger wheel-to-wheel at speed. Mansell went on to be World Champion later that year.

It’s obviously since been restored. Championship-winning F1 cars don’t trade hands publicly often, and Bonhams is mum on a reserve. Check back in a few weeks to see if it sold – and for how much. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,385,271