Tag Archives: race cars

NASCAR Corvette

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1953 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster Race Car

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 17, 2014

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

The Corvette is one of America’s signature automobiles – it’s the signature American sports car of all time. And America’s most-popular form of motorsport is NASCAR… so it’s only natural that there exists a Corvette with NASCAR history.

Ed Cole sent a few Corvettes south to be turned into race cars in 1955/1956. Two of them were destined for NASCAR (this one and a 1955 model). The ’53 ‘Vette seen here was given a high-output 1956 engine: a 4.3-liter V-8 (remember, the Corvette didn’t get a V-8 until 1955), making a minimum of 240 horsepower.

This car is said to have ran on the beaches of Daytona and at tracks such as Martinsville, Raleigh and Bowman Gray Stadium (although I have been unable to verify this). This is a super-rare piece of racing and Corvette history and should command a large sum. I actually saw this car in person this year and got to see it drive (video here, it sounds great!). I asked the representative of ProTeam Corvette who was guarding the car if they were selling anything interesting from their reserve collection this year and he failed to mention that this very car was going to cross the bliock. Oh well, I can buy it now if I so choose. Click here for more info and here for more from Barrett-Jackson.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $2,000,000.

Here’s some actual video of it:

March 711

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1971 March-Ford-Cosworth 711

Offered by Coys | London, U.K. | December 2, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

By 1971, March was a force in motor racing, having only been around since 1969. They built cars for their own team, but they also sold customer cars for a handful of different series’ around the world. March continued building cars into the 1990s.

This car, the March 711, was the team’s machine for 1971. It never won any races, but it was competitive and had multiple podiums. The aerodynamics were designed by Frank Costin and the competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 1971 South African Grand Prix – 10th (with Ronnie Peterson)
  • 1971 Spanish Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Peterson)
  • 1971 Monaco Grand Prix – 2nd (with Peterson)
  • 1971 Dutch Grand Prix – 4th (with Peterson)
  • 1971 British Grand Prix – 21st, DNF (with Mike Beuttler)
  • 1971 German Grand Prix – 19th, DSQ (with Beuttler)
  • 1971 Austrian Grand Prix – 17th, DNF (with Niki Lauda)
  • 1971 Italian Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Beuttler)
  • 1971 Canadian Grand Prix – 17th, NC (with Beuttler)

This is a very cool looking car and it’s powered by a Ford-Cosworth 3.0-liter V-8. It’s an ex-Lauda and ex-Peterson car from one of the golden eras of Formula One. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this sale’s lineup.

S/N: 711-2

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2016.

Benetton B191

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1991 Benetton-Ford B191B

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This car might be almost 25 years old, but make no mistake: it is a modern Formula One car. Modern Era, at the very least. This was a Benetton team car for both the 1991 and 1992 seasons, years where they had Michael Schumacher, Roberto Moreno, Nelson Piquet, and Martin Brundle as their star drivers.

It was originally built as a 1991 B191 but was re-fitted in 1992 to B191B specification – as you see it now. The engine is a Ford 3.5-liter V-8 making 730 horsepower. The competition history for this chassis, B191B-06, includes:

  • 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix – 22nd, DNF (with Nelson Piquet)
  • 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix – 5th (with Piquet)
  • 1991 Spanish Grand Prix – 11th (with Piquet)
  • 1991 Japanese Grand Prix – 7th (with Piquet)
  • 1991 Australian Grand Prix – 4th (with Piquet in his final F1 appearance)
  • 1992 South African Grand Prix – 26th, DNF (with Martin Brundle)
  • 1992 Mexican Grand Prix – 3rd (with Michael Schumacher – his first career podium)
  • 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Schumacher)

After Brazil in 1992, Benetton had its B192 ready for action and the B191B was parked. This car is being offered in its 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix livery and it is fully functional. It is a historic racer – taking Schumacher to his first podium and delivering Piquet a stellar final race. It can now be yours for between $380,000-$470,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ Bond Street Sale lineup.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, Bonhams Monaco 2016, $1,200,618.

Porsche 908/2

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1969 Porsche 908/2 Longtail Spyder

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Porsche 908 was the successor to the 907 and it was introduced by Porsche to fight in the Group 6 category, which had just undergone rule changes for 1968. First came the 908/1. The 908/2 was a topless spyder, unlike the closed coupe 908/1.

The Langheck Coupe was a long tail version for high-speed tracks. But when Porsche chopped the top for 1969, the Longheck (long tail) Spyder was born. The engine is a 3.0-liter flat-8 making 350 horsepower. The light fiberglass body allowed this car to achieve high speeds on the straight at Le Mans.

This was a factory team race car before going into privateer hands, and its competition history includes:

  • 1969 12 Hours of Sebring – 7th (with Vic Elford and Richard Attwood)
  • 1970 12 Hours of Sebring – 7th (with Attwood, Gerhard Koch, and Gerard Larrousse)
  • 1970 1000km Brands Hatch – 6th (with Koch and Larrousse)
  • 1970 1000km Monza – 14th (with Larrousse and Rudi Lins)
  • 1970 Targa Florio – 13th (with Larrousse and Lins)
  • 1970 1000km Spa – 9th (with Larrousse and Lins)
  • 1970 1000km Nurburgring – 6th (with Larrousse and Lins)
  • 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans – 3rd (with Lins and Helmut Marko)
  • 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans – 43rd, DNF (with Hans-Dieter Weigel and Claude Haldi)

This car was later owned by Jo Siffert and appears in the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans. Later in 1971, it ended up in a private collection before being acquired by Peter Monteverdi. It has had a recent restoration and a handful of other owners. It’s an awesome machine with a fantastic history. There is no pre-sale estimate, but it’ll go big. Read more here and see more from this sale here.

Chassis # 908.02-05

Update: Sold $3,437,744.

Abarth 1000SP

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1966 Fiat-Abarth 1000SP Tipo SE04

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

If you’ve been following recent trends with regards to cars coming to auction, you might think this car is part of the liquidation of the Maranello Rosso Collection. And you’d be right. It’s a pretty car, this racer. It was used in both hillclimbs and on circuits.

The SE04 was Abarth’s first multi-tubular chassis and it used a Fiat-based 982cc straight-four making 105 horsepower at a wailing 8,000 rpm. It might not seem like a lot of power for a race car – even in 1966, but it weighs practically nothing and has a power-to-weight ratio of around 10 pounds per horsepower. It had a top end north of 130 mph.

This car was campaigned around Italy by privateers in various hillclimbs, winning here and there. Fabrizio Violati acquired the car around 1980 and added it to his fantastic collection of rare Abarths. It’s pretty cool and somewhere around 50 were made. This one should bring between $130,000-$190,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $213,767.

Ginetta G15

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1971 Ginetta G15

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, U.K. | September 20, 2014

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Ginetta Cars has been around since 1958 when it was founded by four brothers with the name Walklett in Suffolk. The company began by building kits to turn boring, high-production automobiles into sports and race cars. As time went by, they turned to building complete road-and-race-ready cars.

The G15 was launched in 1967 and is based around a Hillman Imp. As time went on, you could buy a G15 as a kit or as a completed car. About 800 were built before Ginetta moved on in 1974. The engine is an 875cc straight-four making 51 horsepower.

This car won the 1977 Silverstone Production Sports Car Championship, winning 17 of 19 races that year (among other career triumphs). The G15 was the first Ginetta to really sell in serious volume and it allowed the company to grow. This would be a very fun car to acquire for only $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this sale’s lineup.

Update: Sold $21,557.

Ferrari 333 SP

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1998 Ferrari 333 SP

Offered by RM Auctions | Pebble Beach auction weekend | August 15-17, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions
Photo – RM Auctions

The 333 SP is an interesting Ferrari. The Scuderia hadn’t gone sports prototype racing in a long time and with this car, they kind of still didn’t. Dallara designed the chassis (and built nine of the cars) and Ferrari never fielded a factory effort with the cars, instead selling them to privateers so they could campaign them.

The engine is a 4.0-liter V-12 making 650 horsepower. This is the most-successful 333 SP built, with the following achievements:

  • 1998 24 Hours of Daytona – 1st (with Arie Luyendyk, Mauro Baldi, Giampiero Moretti and Didier Theys)
  • 1998 12 Hours of Sebring – 1st (with Theys, Moretti and Baldi)
  • 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans – 14th (with Theys, Moretti and Baldi)

The car still has its MOMO livery (MOMO being the company Daytona winner Giampiero Moretti founded). It is one of 40 ultimately built (Ferrari built five in addition to Dallara’s nine. Michelotto built the rest). RM didn’t publish an estimate, but you can read more here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $3,400,000.

Maserati 6CM

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1937 Maserati Tipo 6CM

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Grand Prix racing in the 1930s was a sport for men. These things were dangerous, powerful, and fast. The 6CM was Maserati’s single-seater built between 1936 and 1940. The 6CM was Maserati’s factory team car for 1938 and 1939, while it was used primarily by privateers upon its introduction in 1936.

The engine is a supercharged 1.5-liter straight-six making 155 horsepower, later bumped to 175. This car was sold to a British privateer who competed it in races around England in a few non-championship events. After the war, it ran in the 1948 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, qualifying as a reserve entry and not starting the race.

In 1950, it came stateside, becoming part of Bill Harrah’s massive collection. In 1985, when the collection was dispersed, the car went back to the U.K. and was restored. It has competed in a few historic events multiple times, including the Monaco Historic Grand Prix and Goodwood Revival. Only 27 Tipo 6CMs are thought to have been built and not many remain. This car should bring between $1,000,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ lineup.

Update: Sold $984,190.

Abarth Spider Tubolare

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1962 Abarth 1000 Sport 131-MC Spider Tubolare

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Abarth cars are some of the hardest to find information on. They tuned some cars and they built their own race cars – and the records are only in the hands of marque specialists (if they exist at all). This Spider Tubolare is a race car, and one I’d honestly never heard of until now.

There was a new wave of sports prototype car building going on in the late-1950s and early-1960s. Tubular spaceframe chassis construction offered a stiff, lightweight alternative to traditional chassis design. And it allowed a company like Abarth to swap engines in and out of the mid-engined layout depending on what races they wanted to enter. This car uses a 1.0-liter straight-four that was installed in period to compete in the European Hill Climb Championship.

This car has been owned by Fabrizio Violati since the 1970s and has been a part of his Maranello Rosso collection for nearly 40 years. As it’s been on display for a while, it needs a complete refreshening to be usable. In any case, it should sell for between $200,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $198,786.

Abarth 2000 Sport Prototipo SE010

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1969 Abarth 2000 Sport Spider SE010 Prototipo

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Carlo Abarth founded his company in 1949. Originally a race team, they soon turned their attention to tuning Fiats. Racing was always the love of Abarth so long as Carlo was in charge (instead of a trim line on modern Fiats).

They never lost their racing roots, as this car attests. The 2000 Sport Prototipo was introduced in 1968. This car is part of the later SE010 series with its signature four headlights (or “Quattro Fari“). The engine is a 2.0-liter straight-four making around 250 horsepower.

This car was used in hillclimbs in Italy when new, winning many that it entered. It was later acquired by Fabrizio Violati and has been in his Maranello Rosso collection for years. This is chassis #40 of what is believed to be around 50 built total. They don’t come up for sale often and this one is in very nice condition, even if it will require a thorough re-freshening after having been on display for many years. It should sell for between $330,000-$410,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $302,415.