Tag Archives: race cars

Ferrari 555 F1

Posted on by
Reply

1955 Ferrari 555 F1

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2025

Photo – Bonhams

Scuderia Ferrari’s 1953 Formula competitor was the 553, which was actually designed to F2 specs, which is what the World Championship formula was that year. They made an F1 version of the 553 for 1954. For 1955, Ferrari updated the 553 to the 555. The new bodywork was longer and more rounded than the year before and earned the car the name the Supersqualo (super shark).

The car is powered by a 2.5-liter Lampredi inline-four that made about 260 horsepower. This car, chassis 555/1, had the following competition history:

  • 1955 Monaco Grand Prix – 8th (with Paul Frere and Piero Taruffi)
  • 1955 Belgian Grand Prix – 4th (with Frere)
  • 1955 Dutch Grand Prix – 7th (with Mike Hawthorn)
  • 1955 Italian Grand Prix – 10th, DNF (with Hawthorn)

The car was also driven in a non-points race by Nino Farina. In 1956, Ferrari had moved on and sold the 555s, including this one. The car was slightly modified and successfully raced in Australia and New Zealand through 1959.

The car was damaged in an event in 1963, after which the engine was removed for use in a boat. The chassis was fitted with Morris Minor (!) bodywork and a Chevrolet V8. In the 1990s, the car was restored back to stock, and now it’s selling at no reserve with an estimate of $4,200,000-$6,300,000. More info can be found here.

Lotus E21

Posted on by
Reply

2013 Lotus E21

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 2025

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Things were weird in F1 in the 2010s. In 2010 and 2011 there was a Lotus Racing F1 team that was not directly affiliated with Lotus Cars. It was a Malaysian-owned team that licensed the use of the Lotus name. Their cars were green and yellow.

Meanwhile, in late 2010, the actual Lotus car company purchased part of the Renault F1 team. So, for 2012, that team would been known as Lotus-Renault. Also for 2012, Tony Fernandes, the guy who was running the green-and-yellow Lotus Racing F1 team, also had purchased Caterham, a company that has produced Lotus replicas for decades.

So for 2012, the new Lotus-Renault debuted (with their black and gold cars) and the old Lotus Racing team re-debuted as Caterham F1, with still-green cars. Caterham disappeared after the 2014 season. The Lotus name would continue through the 2015 season, when the team would revert back to Renault branding.

So, the team’s car for the 2013 season was the E21, which would’ve had a 2.4-liter Renault V8 and a KERS system. Output was 750 horsepower. The E21 was kind of a success, winning on debut in Australia. This car is without an engine and is being sold as a roller. This car, chassis E21-04, has the following race history:

  • 2013 British Grand Prix – 5th (with Kimi Raikkonen)
  • 2013 German Grand Prix – 2nd (with Raikkonen)
  • 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix – 2nd (with Raikkonen)
  • 2013 Belgian Grand Prix – 21st, DNF (with Raikkonen)
  • 2013 Italian Grand Prix – 11th (with Raikkonen)
  • 2013 Singapore Grand Prix – 21st, DNF (with Romain Grosjean)
  • 2013 Korean Grand Prix – 3rd (with Grosjean)
  • 2013 Japanese Grand Prix – 3rd (with Grosjean)
  • 2013 Indian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Grosjean)
  • 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – 4th (with Grosjean)
  • 2013 United States Grand Prix – 2nd (with Grosjean)
  • 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix – 22nd, DNF (with Grosjean)

Since then, the car has been retained by the team, which is now known as Alpine. They are selling it. It has an estimate of $365,000-$465,000. More info can be found here.

Spirit Of America Sonic I

Posted on by
Reply

1965 Spirit Of America Sonic I

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Coral Gables, Florida | February 2025

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

People setting speed records sort of started happening as soon as there was a car. After WWII, things got a little more serious when guys started strapping jet engines to some wheels and heading off for the salt flats in Utah.

The first Spirit of America looked like a jet without wings. Craig Breedlove ran it at over 400 mph in August 1963. The FIA wouldn’t recognize it because the car only had three wheels. In October that year he ran 526 mph with the car, but ended up in a pond at the end of the run.

Over the next year and a half or so, Breedlove had this car designed. It had four wheels and a GE J79 jet engine from an F-4 Phantom II. In November 1965, Breedlove hit 600 mph in this car, which was the record that would stand until 1970. It was Breedlove’s fastest run of his career. After that, the car ended up in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, who is now selling it on an estimate of $500,000-$1,000,000. More info can be found here.

Ferrari 512 M

Posted on by
Reply

1970 Ferrari 512 M

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 2025

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Ferrari didn’t compete in the 1968 sports car season because of a rule change that outlawed any engine over three liters. Porsche developed the 917 for 1969, taking advantage of a loophole in the rules. Enzo had just sold half of Ferrari to Fiat and now had the money to take the fight to Porsche for the 1970 season.

So for 1970, Ferrari debuted the 512 S, of which 25 were produced. Seventeen of these 25 cars competed in the 1970 endurance racing season, with this car being the only example delivered new in Giallo. It went to Ecurie Francorchamps in Belgium, delivered new as a 512 S. Under that guise, it competed in:

  • 1970 1000km Spa – 8th (with Derek Bell and Hughes de Fierlant)
  • 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans – 5th (with de Fierlant and Alistair Walker)
  • 1971 24 Hours of Daytona – 38th, DNF (with de Fierlant and Gustave Gosselin)

During 1970, it was used during the filming of Le Mans. After the ’71 Daytona race, the car went back to Europe to become one of 15 examples that were upgraded to 512 M specification. The 5.0-liter V12 was lightened and now made 610 horsepower. Aerodynamics were improved with lower bodywork. The car was completed in time for:

  • 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans – 18th, DNF (with de Fierlant and Alain de Cadenet)

The car ran a few other races, including a Can-Am race at Watkins Glen. It’s been in various collections, including the current one since 2018. The estimate is $9,500,000-$12,500,000. More info can be found here.

VPJ-Ford

Posted on by
Reply

1969 VPJ-Ford

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2025

Photo – Mecum

Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing was founded in 1969 by Parnelli Jones and Velko Miletich. They would compete in USAC (Indy car) and Formula One in the 1970s. Their first car was dubbed the VPJ and debuted in 1969.

Some later cars would wear the Colt moniker in USAC. This particular chassis retains a 2.6-liter Ford V8 and a Hewland four-wheel-drive system. It has been restored and is said to have been driven in period by Al Unser and Joe Leonard, although no specific race history is mentioned. The car was not used at Indianapolis.

If you like obscure old racing cars or obscure old race car technology, this is pretty hard to beat. You can read more about it here.

Laurin & Klement Sportwagen

Posted on by
Reply

1911 Laurin & Klement Type S2 Sportwagen

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Coral Gables, Florida | February 2025

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Flying Scooters is a type of amusement park ride where you sit in a suspended (usually two-person) car that spins in a big circle amongst other similar cars. Each car has a handheld rudder that can be swung side to side to change the angle of the car.

That’s what this reminds me of. An early Czech automotive manufacturer, Laurin & Klement existed from 1895 until 1925. Auto production began in 1905, and in 1925, it was purchased by conglomerate Skoda, who renamed it after themselves. That’s how it exists today.

This car features an early form of active aerodynamics. Turning the steering wheel turned the rudder at the rear (in addition to the front wheels), which produced side force, allowing the car to corner faster. Its first owner, racer, Baron Leo Haan, fitted the device as well as the wheel covers. It’s powered by a flat-twin.

The car was purchased by the Indianapolis Speedway Museum in 1964 out of 40 years of storage. About the only thing that has changed is the fact that it was repainted many decades ago. The estimate here is $100,000-$150,000. More info can be found here.

Morris Maruader

Posted on by
Reply

1971 Morris Marauder-Ford Indy Car

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2025

Photo – Mecum

George Morris worked on the Shrike and Mongoose Indy car chassis before being the chief mechanic for George Walther’s team for 1971. For that season he built this, the Morris Marauder. He actually built three Marauder chassis, apparently.

This car retains its period Dayton Steel Foundry livery and a 2.6-liter Ford V8. It was driven in period by Jim McElreath, Salt Walther, George Snider, and John Martin. Those are all pretty familiar names to anyone who followed Indy car in the early 1970s.

The car also has electronic fuel injection and an onboard starter (which has been missing from Indy cars for a LONG time). You can read more about it here.

Kurtis/Epperly Indy Car

Posted on by
Reply

1959 Kurtis/Epperly-Offenhauser Indy Car

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2025

Photo – Mecum

This car was built as a Kurtis KK500 for the 1959 Indy Car season. After it ended, Quin Epperly modified it for use in 1960. What a combo of builders to have on one car. And it worked, as A.J. Foyt used it for 1960 to win the championship.

Power is provided by a 4.2-liter Offenhauser inline-four. The race history for this chassis includes:

  • 1959 Indianapolis 500 – 29th, DNF (with Jud Larson)

The car finished third at Milwaukee with Don Freeland in 1959 before Epperly got his hands on it. Foyt had podiums at Milwaukee and Trenton in 1960 in this car. It is very unclear from the catalog if it was at Indy in 1960 or not. This Bowes Seal Fast Special has a more recent restoration, and you can read more about it here.

Porsche 934

Posted on by
Reply

1976 Porsche 934

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2025

Photo – Mecum

The Porsche 934 was a racing version of the 930 Turbo built to FIA Group 4 specifications. Introduced for 1976, just 31 examples were produced over a two-year span. The cars remained competitive through the end of the decade.

Power is from a turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six that made somewhere around 480 horsepower, depending on setup, etc. This car was initially campaigned in the 1976 German National Championship by Porsche-Kremer Racing before receiving a replacement tub. It’s later career included:

  • 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans – 7th, 1st in class (with Bob Wolleck, Jean-Pierre Wielemans, & Philippe Gurdjian)

The car was restored by Kremer in the 2000s and sold for $1.55 million on Bring a Trailer in 2023. Read more about it on Mecum’s site here.

Le Mans-Winning Ferrari

Posted on by
Reply

1964 Ferrari 250 LM

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 2025

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

We have featured a 250 LM in the past, but any car that has an estimate of “over $26,500,000” typically is something worth peeking at. This car was, until recently, on display in the basement of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum right next to the W196R streamliner. Quite a pairing.

Ferrari only built 32 of these. All but one had power from a 3.3-liter V12 that was rated at 320 horsepower. This car was the 6th example produced and was sold new by Luigi Chinetti. The car was soon after traded back in and thereafter put into the N.A.R.T. stable. It’s subsequent racing history includes:

  • 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans – 1st (with Masten Gregory, Jochen Rindt, and Ed Hugus)
  • 1966 24 Hours of Daytona – 9th (with Rindt and Bob Bondurant)
  • 1968 24 Hours of Daytona – 48th, DNF (with Gregory and David Piper)
  • 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans – 24th, DNF (with Gregory and Charlie Kolb)
  • 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans – 8th (with Sam Posey and Teodoro Zeccoli)
  • 1970 24 Hours of Daytona – 7th (with Luigi Chinetti Jr. and Gregg Young)

It’s pretty amazing that it could place in the top 10 in a 24-hour race five years after it was built. And that it only competed in 24-hour events. Later in 1970, the car was purchased by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Until 2023, it was the last Ferrari to win outright at Le Mans. You can read more about it here.