Tag Archives: race cars

Brabham BT5

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1962 Brabham BT5

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Motor Racing Developments Ltd. is commonly known as Brabham, as that’s the name their vehicles carried. The marque competed in Formula One for 30 years and had their cars entered in a variety of other series, including Indy Car, Formula Two, and Can-Am.

This sports racing prototype is the first of two BT5s built. In fact, Brabham only built 14 sports prototypes in total. The other 12 were BT8s. This one is powered by a Lotus-Ford 1.6-liter inline-four. It won races in England in period with driver Frank Gardner and came to the U.S. in 1963, competing in SCCA events thereafter and winning a championship in ’64.

More recently, the car competed in historic events in Europe and the U.S. It has a pre-sale estimate of $170,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $169,742.

Shadow DN9B

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1979 Shadow-Cosworth DN9B

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Shadow Racing Cars competed in Formula One between 1973 and 1980 after having established themselves in Cam-Am. Success was scarce, but the team did score a win in 1977 and had a number of podiums over the years.

The DN9 was first entered in 1978 and used there for nearly 3/4 of the season. It returned in 1979 and was eventually upgraded to “B” spec. It’s powered by a 3.0-liter Ford-Cosworth V8. No details on the specific competition history for this chassis, but apparently it was used in 1979 by Jan Lammers. Lammers had a best finish of 9th that season and only seven finishes out of a total of 15 races.

This car was used in historic series over the years, and it was restored somtime after 2003, with just a few hours on the engine since being rebuilt. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $230,000-$280,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold, price not disclosed. LAME, Bonhams. Lame.

550 GTC

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2003 Ferrari 550 GTC

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 2, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Ferrari turning their road-going cars into competitive race cars had kind of been a rare event since… well, the 1960s. Sure, they had “Challenge” race cars where 348s and F355s would compete against each other, but it’s not like they were taking them to Le Mans.

That sort of changed with the 550 Maranello. While Ferrari themselves weren’t outright building racing versions of the 550, some privateer teams were. The cars appeared in a few different classes/forms across a variety of series worldwide. We’ve already featured an ex-Le Mans GTLM version, and this is a GTC. The GTCs were “factory-built” in that Ferrari actually partnered with N-Technology to build two cars, both of which were constructed in 2003, after 550 Maranello road car production ceased. The other example is still owned by Ferrari.

Power is provided by a 5.5-liter V12. The competition history for this chassis included:

  • 2003 24 Hours of Spa – 27th, DNF (with Philipp Peter, Fabio Babini, and Boris Derichebourgh)

The following year it won the Italian Speed Hill Climb championship in the GTM category. The engine was rebuilt in 2016, and the current owner bought it the next year. It’s been restored to its Spa livery and now carries a pre-sale estimate of $2,300,000-$2,850,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

190E DTM

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1991 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 DTM

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The 190E Evolution is one of the coolest homologation road-car specials of all time. And the because of the stellar job it did… homologating… we have this. The actual real-deal DTM version of the 190E 2.5-16.

This car is one of two campaigned by Team Snobeck during the 1991 DTM season. For 1992 and 1993 it competed with a privateer driver in the Belgian Procar series. The current livery is a replica of an entirely different team’s, because “the owner of the car likes it.” If you don’t like it, buy it and change it.

The car retains a race version of the road car’s 2.5-liter, 16-valve Cosworth-developed inline-four. In race spec, output is around 335 horsepower. This car is not only one of the most badass touring cars ever built, but it’s just stunning in presentation. The pre-sale estimate is $340,000-$460,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $248,084.

Renault R24

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2004 Renault R24

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 2, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 2004 F1 season was dominated by Ferrari, but Renault’s R24 was a contender. It won the Monaco Grand Prix that year. And this livery is a nostalgic throwback to some good years of F1. It just screams “let’s watch Fernando Alonso tear it up.”

The R24 is powered by a screaming 3.0-liter V10 that made about 900 horsepower (it is unclear if this car still has an engine). This car was acquired by its first private owner in 2016, at which time it was repainted and fitted with the blue and yellow Mild Seven livery that was made famous by Renault’s two world championships in period (which would both come in the two yeas after this car ran). The competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 2004 Chinese Grand Prix – 4th (with Fernando Alonso)
  • 2004 Japanese Grand Prix – 5th (with Alonso)
  • 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix – 4th (with Alonso)

This car, being used so late in the season is likely, technically, an R24B. The only thing it needs to be perfect is a set of period-correct grooved tires. This Renault is from the team’s brink of greatness and looks the part of the later cars. Check out more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $292,104

Sauber C5

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1976 Sauber C5

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Gstaad, Swizterland | December 29, 2021

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Peter Sauber founded his motorsports company in 1970. Everything started with sports cars and prototypes, like this. Things would eventually progress to the top of the sportscar mountain before the team entered Formula One in 1993.

This C5 was campaigned by the Francy Racing Team, which was apparently some kind of back door Sauber works team. It ran a few seasons in the European Interserie Championshop. Race highlights include:

  • 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans – 29th, DNF (with Eugen Strahl and Peter Bernhard)

The car had a few owners over the years and was used in the Le Mans Classic in the 2000s before being restored in 2020. It appears to have a 2.0-liter BMW inline-four under the rear bodywork and is most probably turbocharged. It now carries a pre-sale estimate of $210,000-$255,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Renault-Alpine A442

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1976 Renault-Alpine A442

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

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Sports prototype race cars were kind of getting a little out of hand in the 1970s. Think about Porsche’s Can-Am killer and some of the other wild cars that came out of that era. And look at the intake on this thing. I’m pretty sure there are smaller jet engines.

Alpine was owned by Renault at this time, but this car was designed and built by Alpine (with Renault power and funding, of course). Power is from a turbocharged 2.0-liter Renault-Gordini V6 capable of 490 horsepower. Only four examples of the A442 were built, and the competition history for this one, chassis 4422, includes:

  • 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans – 22nd, DNF (with Patrick Depailler and Jacques Laffite)
  • 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans – unknown

What? Yeah, there were two A442As, a single A442B, and an A443 entered in 1978’s race. The A442B won the race. But whether that car was chassis 4422 or 4423 has apparently been disputed. Renault says it was car 4423, but RM presents evidence that it could’ve been 4422. You can make up your own mind, but this car is the only A442 in private hands. It carries a pre-sale estimate of $4,600,000-$6,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,553,471.

March Formula One

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1977 March-Cosworth 771

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

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Not only was March Engineering a fairly long-lasting Formula One team, but they were also a race car and chassis constructor for other series for quite a long time. The F1 team first appeared on the grid in 1970, and they would continue to participate through the 1992 season.

The 771 was one of two chassis the team used for 1977. This is the first of two such examples built, and it’s powered by a 3.0-liter Cosworth DFV V8. The competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 1977 Canadian Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Ian Scheckter)

It was also used as a test car during the season and was actually merged with the second chassis prior to its Canadian Grand Prix outing. Later use included U.K. hill climb events, which must’ve been pretty exciting in a contemporary F1 car. It has an FIA Historical Technical Passport and had some decent refreshes about six years ago. It’s expected to bring between $345,000-$435,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $355,985.

Huron 4A

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1970 Huron 4A Sports Prototype

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

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Huron Auto Racing Developments Ltd. was founded by Jack Smith and Roy Ireland in the U.K. when they met up with former McLaren designer Jo Marquart. Marquart wanted to design something that wasn’t a McLaren, and thus the Huron was born.

The 4A was a single-seat sports prototype based around a Cosworth 1.8-liter engine. Today, this car, chassis number one of three built, is powered by a 2.0-liter Ford-Cosworth inline-four. The history of the Huron 4A is interesting. Cars number one and two debuted at the 1971 BOAC 1000 at Brands Hatch. Then they failed to qualify at Le Mans, causing Camel to pull their sponsorship funding.

In an effort to make some money, Huron sent the cars to DAF, who fitted car #2 with a Variomatic gearbox. The two cars remained together through their next few owners, including an American SCCA racer. This car has retained its original Hewland gearbox since new. It’s now expected to sell for between $115,000-$160,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $110,688.

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.