Tag Archives: 1990

March-Alfa Romeo

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1990 March-Alfa Romeo 90CA

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Coral Gables, Florida | March 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

March Engineering built their first CART open-wheel race car in 1981 after being around Formula One since 1970. The 1990 90CA would be their last chassis to compete at Indianapolis. Only three 90CA chassis were built.

Two of them were powered by Alfa Romeo engines for that year’s 500. It was a turbocharged 2.65-liter V8 that made about 700 horsepower. The competition history for this car, 90CA-001, includes:

  • 1990 Indianapolis 500 – 13th (with Al Unser)

For the rest of the season the car was campaigned by Roberto Guerrero in various races, also for Patrick Racing. This car represents the last time either March or Alfa Romeo competed at Indy. And it was driven by one of the best ever at the Speedway. The estimate here is $80,000-$120,000. Click here for more info.

F40 GT

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1990 Ferrari F40 GT

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 17, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Ferrari’s sensational F40 went on sale in 1987 and actually hung around until the early 1990s, which is quite a while in the world of limited-run Ferrari supercars. Three of four examples were prepped by Michelotto to “LM” specification, which increased interest in customer F40 racing cars.

So to that end, nine examples of the “GT” ended up being produced. It retains a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 that was eventually rated for up to 550 horsepower in race spec. This particular chassis was purchased new by the designer of the Mugello race track and campaigned in the Italian GT Championship.

It competed in seven rounds in 1992 and eight the following year. The car was later taken back to its 1992 look, and it is one of 21 F40s to race in a major sanctioned series. The car now has an estimate of $3,250,000-$4,000,000. More info can be found here.

Johnson Phantom

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1990 Johnson Phantom

Offered by Mecum | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 9-11, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Johnson Phantom is a lesser-known neo-classic from the 1990s. In the vein of Zimmers and Excaliburs, the Johnson is one of quite a few other such cars offered, like the Tiffany or the Spartan.

The Johnson Motor Car Company was based in Dania Beach, Florida. Why were so many of these companies based in Florida? The Phantom is based on the third-generation Camaro (think, IROC-Z), and this one is powered by a 5.0-liter V8.

If you look at the greenhouse on most of these neo-classics, you can usually see the base car from the A-pillar and door profile. This one sure looks Camaro-ish. About 60 of these were built, and this one will sell at no reserve. More can be found here.

Nissan R90CK

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1990 Nissan R90CK

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | June 30, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

Nissan’s Group C program gave us some pretty spectacular prototype race cars. Especially those in their red, white, and blue livery. The R90C was their car for the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season, and there were a few subvariants.

This is an R90CK, which featured a low nose and two massive inlets up near the base of the cockpit. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V8 that could produce up to 1,000 horsepower in qualifying trim. This chassis is the last of 13 R90C cars built and is one of six of the R90CK variety. The race history for this chassis, #07, includes various races in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship in addition to the:

  • 1992 24 Hours of Daytona – 8th (with Volkert Weidler, Mauro Martini, and Jeff Krosnoff)
  • 1993 1,0000km Suzuka – 2nd (with Martini and Heinz-Harald Frentzen)

For that last one, the car had been upgraded to R93 specification, but afterward Group C was pretty much done. The car was put away for about a decade before being purchased by someone looking to race it in historic events. It now has an estimate of $550,000-$875,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $587,060.

Nissan R90CK

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1990 Nissan R90CK

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Le Mans, France | June 9, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This is a pretty big deal car. Nissan’s Group C program got off the ground in 1983. In 1990, they launched a new series of cars starting with the R90C, which was based off of the previous R89C. The R90CK variant featured aerodynamic tweaks and revised styling. It was used during the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season and at the 24 Hours of Daytona in ’91 and ’92.

Six R90CK chassis were built, and this one carries number R90C/1. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter all-aluminum DOHC V8. In qualifying trim, output could hit 1,000 horsepower. Race trim usually dialed it back to under 800. But still. This car took pole at Le Mans in 1990, and its competition history includes:

  • 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans – 41st, DNF (with Mark Blundell, Julian Bailey, and Gianfranco Brancatelli)

It was retained by Nissan until 2000, spending some time on display at the Le Mans museum before private ownership came calling. The car is usable and has been present at various historic events over the last decade or so. Le Mans pole-winning cars don’t come around everday, nor do Group C legends. Click here to read more about this one.

Update: Sold $1,175,058.

Pegasus 2000

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1990 Pegasus 2000

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 13-15, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Pegasus 2000 was a vaguely Pontiac-looking fiberglass sports car built in the late-1980s by Pegasus Motor Cars, which was founded by Charlie Van Natter of Pasadena, Texas. It’s a late-1980s Pontiac Firebird Trans Am underneath and a “Ferrari-ish”please confuse it for a Ferrari” fiberglass body on top.

Power is likely provided by either a 5.0-liter or 5.7-liter V8. This particular car looks a little more out there because it was modified by its owners, which were a combo of Texaco and a Saudi refining company. They used it as a promotional car for their “Wipe Out Waste” program, hence the “WOW” decals all over the exterior and interior.

If you want something that will make people do a double take, here’s your ride. Folks won’t know if this is related to Back to the Future, Speed Racer, or Knight Rider. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $13,750.

Consulier GTP

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1990 Consulier GTP

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 15, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Warren Mosler has been responsible for some pretty crazy cars over the years including this, the Consulier GTP. It was introduced in 1985 and produced until 1993, at which time it was re-branded as the Mosler Intruder and later the Mosler Raptor, which had some styling differences.

The GTP featured a rear-mid-engined layout with a turbocharged 2.2-liter Chrysler inline-four that, in this car, produced somewhere between 190 and 200 horsepower. It also had a fiberglass and foam monocoque chassis and a carbon-Kevlar body.

Mecum says that 83 of these were built, and the GTP also had racing success in IMSA. This one could probably stand to get some period wheels on it, but otherwise it’s an interesting piece of America’s supercar past. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $33,000.

iC Modulo M89

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1990 iC Modulo M89

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monaco | May 14, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

iC is an abbreviation for “Italian Cars,” a company founded by Italian designer Carlo Lamattina. The goal with this particular model, which is like a late-80s Polaris Slingshot, was to prove that three-wheeled vehicles could be exciting and/or fun to drive.

The rear-mounted powerplant here is a BMW K75S-sourced 750cc inline-three that made about 75 horsepower new. The body is made of carbon-fiber- and Kevlar-reinforced plastic. Top speed was almost 125 mph.

The current owner of this car, former F1 champion Nigel Mansell, was gifted this car by its designer after taking pole at the 1992 Italian Grand Prix. This example was the first of what was at least a few produced. It’s selling at no reserve. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $22,427.

Arrows A11B

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1990 Arrows A11B

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Le Castellet, France | November 19, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Arrows was around in F1 for quite a while: from 1978 through 2002, although they were known as Footwork Arrows for five years in the ’90s. The A11, and its derivatives, the A11B and A11C, were the team’s entries for the 1989, 1990, and 1991 seasons.

The A11 was designed by Ross Brawn, and the B variant was largely the same as the earlier car aside from some suspension modifications. The car was originally powered by a 3.5-liter Ford-Cosworth V8, although this chassis is currently engine-less. The competition history for this chassis, A11B03, includes:

  • 1990 San Marino Grand Prix – DNQ
  • 1990 Monaco Grand Prix – DNQ
  • 1990 Canadian Grand Prix -25th, DNF (with Michele Alboreto)
  • 1990 Mexican Grand Prix – 17th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 French Grand Prix – 10th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 British Grand Prix – 20th, DNF (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 German Grand Prix – 22nd, DNF (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix – 12th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 Belgian Grand Prix – 13th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 Italian Grand Prix – 12th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix – 9th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 Spanish Grand Prix – 10th (with Alboreto)
  • 1990 Japanese Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Alboreto)

If you’ve got a spare Cosowrth DFV lying around, this could be a fun project. You can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $182,309.

Porsche Indy Car

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1990 March-Porsche 90P

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 13-14, 2021

Photo – Gooding & Company

Porsche North America contested three Indy Car seasons: 1988, 1989, and 1990. The company used specially built March chassis and then stuck their own powerplant behind the driver. For 1990, they had a brand new chassis designed, dubbed the 90P.

Power is provided by a turbocharged 2.6-liter Porsche V8 capable of 725 horsepower. Porsche’s two drivers in 1990 were Teo Fabi and John Andretti, the latter of which piloted this chassis, #5. The competition history for this car includes:

  • 1990 Indianapolis 500 – 21st, DNF (with Andretti)
  • 1990 Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland – 5th (with Andretti)
  • 1990 Molson Indy Vancouver – 5th (with Andretti)
  • 1990 Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Denver – 6th (with Andretti)

Actually, John Andretti drove this car in all but two of the 1990 points races. He finished 10th in the championship. The car was sold by Porsche to a collector in 2017, and then this car passed to the current owner the following year. It’s a ready-to-go historic open-wheel car with a pre-sale estimate of $350,000-$500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $346,000.