The First Brabham F1 Car

1962 Brabham-Climax BT3 F1

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 13, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Motor Racing Developments Ltd, aka Brabham, was an F1 team that competed between 1962 and 1992. That makes this car from their first season as a team. Jack Brabham drove for Cooper the few years before this, and his business partner Ron Tauranac designed this car for Brabham to drive in 1962.

Power is from a 1.5-liter Coventry-Climax V8 that made about 157 horsepower in 1962 spec. The competition history for this chassis (F1-1-62) includes:

  • 1962 German Grand Prix (Nurburgring) – 19th, DNF (with Jack Brabham)
  • 1962 U.S. Grand Prix (Watkins Glen) – 4th (with Brabham)
  • 1962 Mexican Grand Prix – 2nd (with Brabham)
  • 1962 South African Grand Prix – 4th (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Monaco Grand Prix – Did not start (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Belgian Grand Prix (Spa) – 15th, DNF (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Austrian Grand Prix – 1st (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Italian Grand Prix – 5th (with Brabham)
  • 1964 British Grand Prix – 17th, DNF (with Ian Raby)
  • 1964 Italian Grand Prix – DNQ (with Raby)
  • 1965 British Grand Prix – 11th (with Raby)

Imagine the same F1 chassis competing in four different seasons today. This car had many other non-championship races and wins (that Austrian GP race was a non-points race). This car spent decades in the Donington Collection before the current owner bought it in the 2000s. This is a pretty remarkable piece of racing history and has a pre-sale estimate of $590,000-$850,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $471,501.

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