Late-1990s Newman/Haas Cars

Late-1990s Newman/Haas Cars

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Lincolnshire, Illinois | October 29, 2022


1996 Lola T96/00

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

We’ve talked about the Newman/Haas sale before (but we may have forgotten to say what a shame it is). Anyway, let’s jump into the cars. This is the era. The black Havoline/Kmart-liveried Michael Andretti cars. The pinnacle of CART.

This car, chassis HU 14, is a Lola T96 (we’ve featured a T95 before). It is currently without an engine, but in period had a Ford-Cosworth V8. The competition history here includes:

  • 1996 Milwaukee Mile – 1st (with Michael Andretti)
  • 1996 Road America – 1st (with Andretti)
  • 1996 Molson Indy Vancouver – 1st (with Andretti)

Michael also used it in five other races that year on his way to second in the championship. It’s being sold without reserve. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $70,000.


1997 Swift 007.i

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

For the 1997 season of the CART PPG World Series (man, remember those TV graphics?), Newman/Haas switched from Lola to Swift as a chassis manufacturer. Swift Engineering is based in Southern California and supplied chassis to Newman/Haas for a few years.

This 007.i would’ve been originally powered by a Ford-Cosworth V8 but is currently sans motor. The team used six examples of the 007.i in the ’97 season, four of which are in this sale at no reserve. Competition history for this one, #005, includes:

  • 1997 Surfers Paradise – 3rd (with Michael Andretti)
  • 1997 Gateway – 11th (with Andretti)
  • 1997 Mid-Ohio – 8th (with Andretti)
  • 1997 Molson Indy Vancouver – 18th (with Andretti)

He also used it in two other races that year. It’s now selling at no reserve. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $53,200.


1998 Swift 009.c

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Newman/Haas continued with Swift into the 1998 season, which saw drivers Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi doing most of the driving. This chassis, #004, would’ve been originally equipped with a Ford/Cosworth V8, but it is currently just a roller.

This car competed in seven of the season’s 19 races, including:

  • 1998 Rio 400k – 5th (with Michael Andretti)
  • 1998 Michigan – 6th (with Andretti)
  • 1998 Road America – 18th (with Andretti)

It’s selling at no reserve. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $39,200.


2000 Lola B2K/00

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

So I know I said “cars of the late-1990s” but 1. we’ve already featured Newman/Haas’s 1999 entry, the Swift 010.c and 2. 2000 was very much a part of the late 1990s.

The team switched back to Lola chassis for the 2000 season after a few years with Swift. They still employed both Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi this year. Their engine supplier was Ford/Cosworth, with an XF V8. This car has no engine at the moment.

This car, chassis HU 07, competed in 12 of 20 races that year, including:

  • 2000 Homestead-Miami – 7th (with Christian Fittipaldi)
  • 2000 Twin Ring Motegi – 11th (with Fittipaldi)
  • 2000 Mid-Ohio – 3rd (with Fittipaldi)
  • 2000 Fontana – 1st (with Fittipaldi)

You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $39,200.

Michael Andretti’s ’99 CART Car

1999 Swift-Ford-Cosworth 010.c

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Well, this was the exact car I rooted for in 20 races of the 1999 CART season. Alex Zanardi just won the championship the year before and departed for F1, leaving me with Gil de Ferran, Greg Moore, Adrian Fernandez, and Michael Andretti for whom to root for the season. And boy, did I love this car.

The Swift 010.c was one of five different chassis used during the season, with others coming from Reynard, Lola, Eagle, and Penske. This Newman/Haas-owned car is powered by a 2.7-liter V8 making 829 horsepower. It carries a wonderful Havoline/Kmart livery and was used by Michael Andretti in all 20 races that season. It was never wrecked, though it did retire from contact in Toronto. It’s competition history during the 1999 CART seasons includes:

  • Homestead-Miami Speedway – 2nd
  • Twin Ring Motegi – 5th
  • Long Beach Grand Prix – 7th
  • Nazareth Speedway – 6th
  • Rio de Janeiro – 26th, DNF
  • Gateway International Raceway – 1st
  • Milwaukee Mile – 15th
  • Portland International Raceway – 10th
  • Burke Lakefront Airport – 3rd
  • Road America – 2nd
  • Molson Indy Toronto – 26th, DNF
  • Michigan International Speedway – 4th
  • Belle Isle – 4th
  • Mid-Ohio – 8th
  • Chicagoland Speedway – 22nd, DNF
  • Molson Indy Vancouver – 14th
  • Laguna Seca – 10th
  • Grand Prix of Houston – 3rd
  • Surfer’s Paradise – 5th
  • Auto Club Speedway – 21st, DNF

Let us all now take a step back and look at just what an awesome schedule that is. You old timers will disagree, but this was the pinnacle of open wheel racing in the U.S. Sorry, it just is.

This race-winning car was later independently raced in the 2004 BOSS SuperCup series in Europe before being put into storage. It should now sell for between $110,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $56,000.