Tag Archives: formula 1

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.

Ferrari F1-89

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1989 Ferrari F1-89

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

For 1989, Ferrari’s F1 car was the F1-89 – also known as the Ferrari 640. It was the first Ferrari F1 car for the new, non-turbo era. The engine is a 600 horsepower 3.5-liter V-12. and it was Gerhard Berger’s ride for part of the 1989 season. Unfortunately, F1-89 was plagued with reliability issues and this car DNF’d every race it was in. Which isn’t really a ringing endorsement – but then again, this is a Ferrari Formula One car you can own – and it will cost you between $825,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $847,678.

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.

Five Classic F1 Racers

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Classic F1 Racers

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

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1974 Hesketh 308

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The recent film Rush really put the spotlight back on James Hunt – one of F1s legendary personalities. It also shined a light on the Hesketh team – the coolest team in F1 history. The Hesketh 308 was the team’s first car designed in-house. And this is the first (of three) examples built.

If you were to believe the movie, this car was designed in a barn by Harvey Postlewaite (it was actually desienged by Postlewaite, location unconfirmed). The engine is a 3.0-liter Ford-Cosworth V-8 making 485 horsepower. This car was quick from the outset – shocking Hesketh’s rivals. This car was entered in two non-F1 races before the team moved to another car. It was driven in period by James Hunt and Alan Jones. This is an incredible opportunity to acquire a race car from one of the most storied F1 teams in history. It should sell for between $480,000-$890,000. Yes, that’s a big range. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $385,308.

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1980 Tyrrell 010

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.

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1966 Brabham-Repco BT20

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.

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1989 Ferrari F1-89

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

For 1989, Ferrari’s F1 car was the F1-89 – also known as the Ferrari 640. It was the first Ferrari F1 car for the new, non-turbo era. The engine is a 600 horsepower 3.5-liter V-12. and it was Gerhard Berger’s ride for part of the 1989 season. Unfortunately, F1-89 was plagued with reliability issues and this car DNF’d every race it was in. Which isn’t really a ringing endorsement – but then again, this is a Ferrari Formula One car you can own – and it will cost you between $825,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $847,678.

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1982 Renault RE30B

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.

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

An American F1 Car

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1966 AAR Gurney-Weslake Eagle Mk I

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 17-18, 2013

AAR Gurney-Weslake Eagle Mk I

Dan Gurney is one of America’s best historical driving talents. He is one of few Americans to win a Formula One race – along with winning just about everything else imaginable in just about every kind of car. In the early 1960s he raced for a few teams but always wanted to race – and win with – a car that he designed himself.

With a little help from Carroll Shelby, Gurney secured funding to start his own race team in California: All American Racers (AAR). Their original goal was to build an Indy 500 winner but he also wanted to build an F1 car. He developed the cars simultaneously – the Ealge Mk I was intended for F1 and the Mk II for USAC. For engines, Gurney looked to Weslake in Britain who supplied him with a 3.0-liter V-12 that made 390 horsepower at 10,500 rpm.

This car was the second Mk I chassis built (the first chassis used a reliable but out-dated four-cylinder Coventry-Climax engine as the Weslake wasn’t yet available) and its race history consists of:

  • 1966 Italian Grand Prix – 17th, DNF (with Dan Gurney)
  • 1966 United States Grand Prix (at Watkins Glen) – 18th, DNF (with Gurney)
  • 1966 Mexican Grand Prix – 15th, DNF (with Bob Bondurant)
  • 1967 Brands Hatch International Race of Champions – 1st (with Gurney)
  • 1967 Monaco Grand Prix – DNQ (with Richie Ginther)
  • 1967 French Grand Prix – 11th, DNF (with Bruce McLaren)
  • 1967 British Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with McLaren)
  • 1967 German Grand Prix – 22nd, DNF (with McLaren)

As you can see, this car suffered from a host of reliability problems. None of those DNFs were crash-related. Every one was a mechanical failure, with the exception of Gurney’s blistering win at Brands Hatch (which was not a Formula One-sanctioned race). Gurney would win an F1 race in one of his Eagles, just not this one.

After the ’67 season, AAR focused solely on USAC and this car was sold. It bounced between owners and continents and has been used in many historic events – including the Goodwood hillclimb with Gurney himself at the wheel.

It may not have been successful, but it is a beautiful Formula One car. The color, the big engine and that beak at the front of it – incredible. No pre-sale estimate is available but you can read more here and see the rest of Gooding’s lineup here.

Update: Sold $3,740,000

S/N: AAR 102