Tag Archives: f1

Shadow DN8

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1977 Shadow DN8

Offered by Coys | Nurburg, Germany | August 9, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Is there a better place to sell a competition car than at an auction at the Nurburgring? The car you’re looking at is a very special one. But first, a little history. Shadow was a race car team and manufacturer that began in the Can-Am series in 1970. In 1973, they went abroad into Formula 1.

The team was founded by Don Nichols. This car is coming from his personal collection – he has been the sole owner since it was built in 1977. The engine is a 3.0-liter Cosworth DFV V-8. This car was driven during the 1977 Formula One season by Alan Jones. The competition history for this car includes:

  • 1977 Austrian Grand Prix – 1st (with Alan Jones)
  • 1977 Dutch Grand Prix – 13th (with Jones)
  • 1977 Italian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Jones)
  • 1977 U.S. Grand Prix – 9th (with Jones)
  • 1977 Japanese Grand Prix – 4th (with Jones)

That’s right, this is a Formula One race-winning car – the only race Shadow ever won. It was restored to its race-winning livery in 2013 and is ready for the historic circuit. This should sell for between $495,000-$565,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ lineup.

Update: Sold about $582,900.

Lotus Type 49B

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1968 Lotus Type 49B

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | June 27, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Remember how bad ass open wheel race cars used to be? Especially in the days before big rear wings when men had to manhandle them around courses. This one is now fitted with a wing, but it wasn’t always.

The Lotus 49 was designed for the 1967 Formula One season by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe. From the onset, this car was amazing. It blew everything else away, and Lotus teammates Graham Hill and Jim Clark dominated the opening weekend with this car.

Only nine Lotus 49s were built. Some of them were built as a Type 49 and later rebuilt as a Type 49B or 49C. The engine is a Cosworth DFV V-8 in 3.0-liter form capable of 408 horsepower. It is one of the best racing engines ever manufactured.

Want the competition history? I do – this car competed in the Tasman Series and Formula One:

  • 1969 New Zealand Grand Prix (as a Type 49) – 18th, DNF (with Graham Hill)
  • 1969 Levin International – DNF (with Hill)
  • 1969 Lady Wigram Trophy – 2nd (with Hill)
  • 1969 Teretonga International – 2nd (with Hill)
  • 1969 Australian Grand Prix – 4th (with Hill)
  • 1969 Sandown International 100 – 6th (with Hill)
  • 1969 Monaco Grand Prix (now in 49B configuration) – 4th (with Richard Attwood)
  • 1969 British Grand Prix – 7th (with Hill)
  • 1969 German Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Jo Bonnier)
  • 1970 South African Formula One Championship – 1st (with Dave Charlton)
  • 1971 South African Formula One Championship – 1st (with Charlton)

After the 1972 South African F1 season, the car was dismantled and purchased by a renown Australian Lotus collector who had the car restored. It’s been demonstrated and shown and now it can be yours. Only six Type 49s remain. This one has factory-Lotus F1 history and can be yours for between $1,200,000-$1,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more form this sale.

Update: Sold $1,147,135.

Renault RE30B

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1982 Renault RE30B

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The RE30B was an updated version of – you guessed it – the RE30. The RE30 won three races with Alain Prost in 1981 and the RE30B combined for four wins between Prost and Rene Arnoux in 1982. This was Arnoux’s car for eight races in 1982 – including three pole runs – Monaco, Imola, and Zandvoort. It was a great qualifier but never raced all that well. Its best finish was 10th at the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix. The engine in this car was a 560 horsepower twin-turbocharged 1.5-liter V-6. It is a relative bargain between $175,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM’s Monaco sale.

Update: Sold $315,953.

1966 Brabham BT20

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1966 Brabham-Repco BT20

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Driver Jack Brabham founded the Brabham Racing Organisation with designer Ron Tauranac in 1960. The team was commonly referred to as Brabham throughout its life. 1992 was the final season for the team that started as Brabham and had undergone a few name changes over the years.

Brabham fielded cars for Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme for 1966. The BT20 used a Repco 3.0-liter V-8 making 300 horsepower. Denny Hulme drove this car on his way to winning the 1967 Championship. Hulme won the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix in this very machine. In my opinion, this is the second-coolest car F1 car of this sale, behind the Hesketh – although it is the coolest looking. It should sell for between $795,000-$985,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,502,701.

1980 Tyrrell

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1980 Tyrrell 010

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Ken Tyrrell’s Tyrrell Racing was active in Formula One from 1968 through 1998. That’s a pretty solid run, lined with streaks of fame, including the much-loved, six-wheeled P34. This car isn’t quite as exciting.

Candy Team Tyrrell ran cars for Jean-Pierre Jarier and Derek Daly for the complete 1980 season. The 010 debuted at the 1980 South African Grand Prix. This car, chassis 003 was first used by Daly at the 1980 Monaco Grand Prix. The engine is a 475 horsepower 3.0-liter Ford-Cosworth V-8.

This car competed in 17 races over two seasons and was driven by Daly, Jarier, Eddie Cheever, and Michele Alboreto. Its top finish was 5th (four times). It should sell for between $295,000-$390,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $246,597.

MG Magna F1

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1932 MG F-Type F1 Coupe

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | March 29, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The MG F-Type – also known as the Magna – was introduced in 1931 and became available in three types: the F1, F2, and F3. The F2 was only available as a two-seat roadster while the F1 and F3 was a four-seat tourer or four-seat coupe. Production ended after 1932, with the F1 being available both years.

It uses a 1.3-liter straight-six making 47 horsepower. It can do 70 mph (if you dare – those are practically bicycle tires). This car is basically all-original and cost £286 when new. The F-Type Magna was replaced by the L-Type for 1933.

In total, 1,250 F-Types were built – I’m unsure of how many F1 “Foursome” Coupes were built – but it is believed that only three remain. This very nice unrestored example should sell for between $55,000-$70,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ Techno Classic lineup.

Update: Sold $76,700.

Ex-BMW Motorsport McLaren F1 GTR

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1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2014

1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

Photo – Gooding & Company

We’ve actually already featured a 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail, so this is kind of awkward. What makes this car different? Well, for one, it is an ex-BMW Motorsport F1 GTR Longtail. Why is that distinction important? Because that was the closest approximation to a factory McLaren F1 race team.

The first F1 GTRs were built for 1995 and 1996 but the rules of racing changed for 1997. There were specialty-built prototype race cars backed by major manufacturers that came into the fold. Instead of building a race car around a road car (which is the case with the McLaren), companies built homologation specials of their race cars in order to make them “road-car-based.” The F1 had a slight handicap.

But it didn’t matter because Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and the like didn’t have Gordon Murray in their corner. The F1 was re-designed with an elongated nose and tail and a huge rear wing. The engine was a BMW Motorsport-sourced 6.0-liter V-12 detuned to make 604 horsepower (the road car made 627 with slightly larger displacement – that’s how incredible it really was).

This was BMW Motorsport car #1 (chassis #021R). It’s competition history includes:

  • 1997 FIA GT Hockenheim – 1st (with JJ Lehto and Steve Soper)
  • 1997 FIA GT British Empire Trophy at Silverstone – 3rd (with Lehto and Soper)
  • 1997 Helsinki 3 Hours – 1st (with Lehto and Soper)
  • 1997 Nürburgring 4 Hours – 3rd (with Lehto and Soper)
  • 1997 3 Hours Laguna Seca – 36th, DNF (with Lehto and Peter Kox)

And that was it for this car. After 1997, the F1 GTR program came to a halt. BMW traded this car to another McLaren team and the new owner loaned it to the Le Mans Museum for a little bit before selling it at the end of 2001. The new American owned had McLaren restore the car in 2002 to its original 1997 FINA racing colors.

In 2006, it was acquired by a German who actually used the car on track for the first time since 1997. Only 10 GTR Longtails were built (all in 1997) and this is as close to a factory race team example as there is. It was also the most successful BMW Motorsport Longtail with an impressive race history. Gooding & Company estimate that this car will bring between $5,000,000-$7,000,000 at auction in a few weeks. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding in Scottsdale.

Update: Sold $5,280,000.

Schumacher’s First Title Car

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1994 Benetton B194 Ford

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 1, 2013

1994 Benetton B194 Cosworth

The Benetton Formula One team began competing in the top tier of world motorsport in 1986. The team was founded by the Benetton family, owners of the Benetton fashion brand, when they purchased the Toleman team at the end of 1985. In 1991, they hired a young driver named Michael Schumacher who took the team to the pinnacle. Michael won his first two drivers championships with Benetton before departing for Ferrari.

Schumacher won his first title driving a B194 – winning eight races (half of them with this chassis), despite being disqualified from two races and banned from two more. It was a very controversial season to say the least. This car uses a Cosworth-built, Ford-badged 3.5-liter V-8. The race history of this car includes (but is not limited to):

  • 1994 San Marino Grand Prix – 1st (with Michael Schumacher)
  • 1994 Grand Prix of Monaco – 1st (with Schumacher)
  • 1994 Canadian Grand Prix – 1st (with Schumacher)
  • 1994 French Grand Prix – 1st (with Schumacher)

This car won four races with Michael en route to the season driver’s title. Benetton became Renault F1 for 2002 and Renault sold off many of the Benetton team cars that had been left behind. This one found its current home in 2008. A restoration was completed in 2010 and features the original 1994 Mild Seven livery. This is one important race car and it comes with a host of spares. No estimate is available, which is auction house code for “a lot.” You can read more here and check our more from Bonhams in London here.

S/N: B194-05

Update: Sold $1,009,281.

A Scuderia Ferrari Alfa 8C-35 Grand Prix Car

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1935 Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Grand Prix

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | September 14, 2013

1935 Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Grand Prix

Before Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren there was Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati and Auto Union. The 1930s were a thrilling (and scary) time in Grand Prix racing and some of its all-time stars came from that era: Caracciola, Nuvolari, Rosemeyer, Varzi and more. And so did one other man: Enzo Ferrari. Scuderia Ferrari began as a race team in 1929 – becoming the Alfa Romeo factory team. It wasn’t until after the war that he started building his own cars.

This is a special, special car. It’s an 8C-35 – it uses a supercharged 3.8-liter straight-eight engine making 330 horsepower – quite a sum for 1935. This is an actual Scuderia Ferrari team car driven by Nuvolari (and more). The Ferrari-era history of this car is not known, but legend holds that Nuvolari won the 1936 Coppa Ciano with it. Toward the end of 1936, this car was sold to a privateer – Hans Ruesch, who raced it as often as possible. Some of his driving career in the car is as follows (including 3 European Championship – the precursor to Formula One – eligible races in 1937, as noted by asterisk*):

  • 1936 Donington Grand Prix – 1st (with Ruesch and Dick Seaman)
  • 1936 Mountain Championship at Brooklands – 2nd (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 South African Grand Prix – 4th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Grosvenor Grand Prix – 5th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Finnish Grand Prix – 1st (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Grand Prix des Frontieres – 1st (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Bucharest Grand Prix – 1st (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 German Grand Prix* – 8th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Monaco Grand Prix *- 8th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Swiss Grand Prix* – 15th, DNF (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Mountain Championship at Brooklands – 1st (with Ruesch)

Ruesch sold the car in 1939 after much success (and a few major repairs). The car came into the hands of Dennis Poore during the war and he maintained the car for 40 years, using it in a fair number of events. It was sold at auction in 1988 and was restored to its 1930s-era look in the late-1990s. The current owner acquired it about 10 years ago and has used it in some historic events as well. This is the only surviving example of an 8C-35 and it should sell for between $8,600,000-$10,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams at Goodwood.

Update: Sold $9,511,542.

S/N: 50013

Bonhams 2012 Pebble Beach Highlights

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I think this is a new record with regards to auction coverage turnaround time. This sale was held on August 17, just three days ago and here we are presenting results! Big thanks to Bonhams for posting the final numbers about as quickly as could possibly be expected. Both of our feature cars, the 1895 Buffum and the Gulf McLaren F1 Longtail, failed to sell. The top sale of the auction went to this 1966 Ford GT40 for a cool $2,205,000. It is chassis #GT40P/1033, if you’re keeping score at home.

1966 Ford GT-40

There were some pretty impressive motorcycle results at this sale as well. Top honors went to a 1940 Crocker “Big Tank” V-Twin for an eye-wattering $302,000.

1940 Crocker "Big Tank" V-Twin

There were two other Crockers that sold as well, both 1937 V-Twins. One sold for $302,000 and the one below brought slightly less at $291,000 (but it’s in a better color).

Road cars that really caught my attention included this 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Touring Saloon by Mulliner. It sold for $178,800.

1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Touring Saloon

There was also a super-rare 1949 Healey Silverstone that sold for $134,250.

1949 Healey Silverstone

But, by far, the coolest car Bonhams had on offer was this 1941 Tatra T87. These air-cooled beauties are magnificent. I really think it’s one of the loveliest designs of all time. They are quite rare in the U.S. and the price reflected that at $280,000.

1941 Tatra T87

Race cars were a major theme and some of my favorites included a 1964 Huffaker-Genie Mk 10 and an ex-Michele Alboreto 1990 Footwork-Arrows FA11B Formula One car. The Genie brought $142,500 and the Footwork $54,050.

1964 Huffaker-Genie Mk 10

The second-highest selling car of the sale was also a race car (as was the top-selling GT40). It was a 1966 Lola T70 Mk II GT that brought $324,000.

1966 Lola T70 Mk II GT

Two of the more obscure things to sell at this auction included an ex-Otis Chandler 1924 (circa) Ner-a-Car. These things are way cool and this one sold for $14,375.

c. 1924 Ner-a-Car

And finally, there was this 1914 Warrick 6hp Carrier Tri-Car Milk Float (which is kind of a mouthful of a name). It’s a British dairy truck – er, trike. The driver sits in the back and the product is up front. I’ve never seen one before. It sold for $25,300.

1914 Warrick 6hp Carrier Tri-Car Milk Float

For complete results, click here.