SIlverstone Auctions Competition Car Sale - We Pick Our Favourites!
Click on the Gallery tab for images of all cars featured here.
On Thursday as the final preparations fall into place for the Silverstone Classic, it is competition car sales day as Silverstone Auctions hold their annual sale at the circuit’s Wing complex. A highlight of the auction is a collection of cars raced by Piercarlo Ghinzani during his career, including two Osella Formula One cars and a Toleman, the Italian racer contesting 77 Grand Prix. Also featured are two of Ghinzani’s Formula Three cars from the late 1970s, including the March 773 he took to the 1977 European Formula Three crown.
Other lots include an ex-Nigel Mansell Formula Three March, a Ford Capri race by Gordon Spice, and a Lotus XI with a well-documented history.
We have picked our favourites and you can view the full list of lots – and those for the classic road car sale later on in the weekend – on the Silverstone Auctions website.
Osella-Alfa Romeo FA1/83 (Estimate £100,000 – 125,000)
This 1983 Osella-Alfa Romeo F1 car was raced by Piercarlo Ghinzani in the 1983 F1 World Championship and all results are in the comprehensive history file that comes with the car. The car has been completely restored, including an engine rebuild by renowned Alfa specialist, Elio Imberti, and has only run 100kms since then.
1985 Toleman Hart TG185 (Estimate £35,000 – 40,000)
The Toleman TG185 was raced by Piercarlo during the second half of the 1985 season as team mate to Teo Fabi. It is offered as a rolling chassis as the Hart engine was notoriously unreliable and is no longer with the car. However, a Cosworth DFV V8 could be made to fit and the car would then be ready to use.
1986 Osella Alfa Romeo (Estimate £60,000 – 70,000)
This 1986 Osella-Alfa Romeo was driven by Piercarlo during the 1986 F1 season. All the results are in the significant history file of the car as are some pictures of its rebuild and restoration. The engine was rebuilt by the Alfa Romeo factory and the car has run less than 200kms. Since and is for sale ready to race.
1977 March 773 Toyoya F3 (Estimate £45,000 – 50,000)
This March 773 was used by Piercarlo to win the 1977 European Formula 3 Championship beating drivers such as Nelson Piquet, Elio de Angelis and Derek Warwick. An outright winner three times that season (at Nurburgring, Zolder and Imola) the car gave Piercarlo a total of nine podium appearances and was the dominant car and driver combination of the season.
Professionally stored and maintained ever since, the Toyota Novamotor had its most recent rebuild in 2010 by Ellegi Motori and has only run 200 kms. since. It is presented ready to race.
1979 March 793 Toyota F3 (£40,000 – 48,000)
This March 793 was driven by Piercarlo to overall victory in the 1979 Italian F3 Championship and selected rounds of the European F3 series. Wins came at Vallelunga, Misano, Varano, Enna-Pergusa, Monza and Mugello beating noted drivers of the day Michele Alboreto and Mauro Baldi.
Raced in period with Alfa Romeo engines (which the factory took back at the end of the season), the car had a Toyota Novamotor installed in 1980 which is still in the card today. Rebuilt by Ellegi Motori in 2010, it has run less than 200kms. Since.
1957 Lotus XI Series 1 Le Mans (Estimate £110,000 – 130,000)
For sale is Lotus Eleven Series I chassis number #384 and importantly retains its original chassis plate. From a private collection of actively raced historic Lotus cars by the seller, this car has been well maintained and used in his care and is one of the more desirable Series 1 models - the Le Mans Sports Racer.
Purchased new in 1957 by a Mr Robert Haythorne from Performance Cars as a ‘Sports' model, this car found its way to New Zealand with its fourth owner, a Mr Don Jamieson who relocated there in January 1967. Photographs in the accompanying history file show Don with the car in that period, where he used the car on road and circuit. The second owner in New Zealand, a Mr Kevin Hardie, himself a Lotus Eleven mechanic in period, undertook a full restoration of the car.
In 1991 the Chairman of the Lotus Historic Register, Mr Malcolm Rickets, acquired the car and brought chassis #384 back to the UK, where it underwent a rebuild as a Le Mans model to full race specification. At this time, an MG gearbox was married to a 1,500cc Coventry Climax engine, whilst retaining the original aluminium bodywork and adding a removable Le Mans head-fairing for racing. During his ownership, Malcolm campaigned the car successfully on track, with all race preparation carried out by Macdonald Race Engineering and subsequently Mike Loughlin, when Malcolm's own race preparation team, Rickets Racing, was formed.
The seller purchased the car from Malcolm in 2009 and has had the original registration ‘UNM 909' re-instated by DVLA so that it is, once again, proudly bearing this on its bonnet. As with his other historic Lotus cars, the present owner entrusted the car preparation to marque race specialists, John Danby Racing, and has campaigned the car successfully in many VSCC and other race events.
The car is currently in full race trim and fitted with a ‘top of the shop' Glyn Peacock Coventry Climax FWB 1490cc with all of the best available parts assembled on to a "New" FWB block. This gave a remarkable 124 bhp on the rolling road which equates to around 145-150hp at the flywheel. This engine has done less than one hours work, finishing well to the front at a recent televised Silverstone VSCC 40-minute Spring Start race. The passenger seat is present, but not currently fitted and spare front & rear wheels are included in the sale.
The new owner of this car will have various options which might include a return once again to the circuit, sprints, hill climbs, historic rallying or simply enjoy the Lotus as a fast road car at the weekends. If the new owners do plan to take it racing they would be well advised to make sure that the car complies with current MSA and FIA regulations and should also satisfy themselves that all safety equipment complies, and is in date if required.
Bearing its original registration, "UNM 909", this car is offered for sale in excellent competitive race trim and carries a delightful 25-year race patina on its original dark BRG body panels. With its superb history file containing many period shots of the car, old FIA and MSA papers, comprehensive receipts, race results and provenance, this well fettled car is once again ready to be used competitively.
1998 Nissan Primera Super Touring Car (Estimate £90,000 – 105,000)
This 1998 ex-Works Nissan Touring Car has been professionally maintained and run for the Dodd family. It benefits from a 2015 engine rebuild by the renowned Dick Langford and has run both very competitively and reliably this season without incident. All the usual Super Touring specification, including a flat shift sequential gearbox, high tech electronics and state of the art brakes, provide a super quick Touring car that is ultra-competitive in the fast growing series in which it competes.
These cars were built in an era where the build cost regularly ran to seven figures. This car, whilst remaining highly sophisticated, can still be run by the keen privateer without difficulty and could well put you at the front of the current Super Touring grid. The spares included are a set of wheels and gear ratios.
1963 Elva Mk7 (Estimate £75,000 – 80,000)
The Elva Mk 7 was the best under 2 litre sports car of its day but despite this, it is believed that only 29 were produced over a 2 year period. This car, chassis 023 was originally supplied through Carl Haas to Jim Rahal, part of the Rahal racing dynasty. Driven in SCCA and club events by his father, the car has been described by ex-F1 driver and Indy legend Bobby as the car that ignited his passion for motor racing.
The car remained in North America until the mid-eighties when it was brought back to Europe by Roger Fountain who set about a long rebuild. It wasn't until the early 2000s however, that the car was regularly seen in historic racing. Following a period at renowned Simon Hadfield Motorsport with Rupert Clevely and Rob Hartley driving, it ended up with prolific historic racer Roger Wills. Wills, along with regular co-driver Joe Twyman, drove the car across Europe regularly winning their class in Masters, HSCC and CHE Endurance races.
Since then it has been used by the current owner for the same purpose and has enjoyed 'no expense spared' preparation with WDK Motorsport. Twice a Goodwood Revival entrant in recent years and eligible for events such as the HSCC Guards Trophy, FIA Historic Sports Car Championship and Daytona 24 Hour Classic, the car presents a fantastic opportunity and a passport to top class events worldwide.
The car is supplied with a history file that includes photographs of the car in the years when the Rahal family owned it, a current 2015 FIA HTP and a small spares package to include wheels and assorted running spares.
1978 March 783 (Estimate £60,000 – 70,000)
This 1978 March 783 was a Unipart Team car that was driven by future World Champion Nigel Mansell in Formula Three. The complete history line shows it was converted to Formula Atlantic specification in 1979/80 before being passed on to Tony Hudson in 1981. The car was subsequently owned by Tony O'Neil (1982), Mick Waller (1984), John Vines (Toyota F3 Championship, '86 & '87), Martin Cocks (from 1988) and finally acquired by Richard Dutton (of Fortec fame) in 2012 and competed in the 2014 Historic Monaco event.
It has been subject to a comprehensive rebuild including, a full gearbox strip and re-assembly by PDS with a new maincase, new clutch, new fuel tank, new extinguisher and seat belts, rebuilt dampers, new brake discs and rebuilt brake calipers, new bearings and joints. The engine has completed one test day and the Monaco event since a full rebuild by Neil Brown Engineering. Spares include two sets of new wheels plus some original March wheels, two nose cones, a top body section and two sets of March 793 side pods and top body.
1975 Chevron B31 (£130,000 – 150,000)
This Chevron B31 two-litre sports racing car won the HSCC Martini Sportscar Trophy as recently as 2013 when driven by the very rapid James Dodd taking four outright wins in the '13 series. The car has been professionally maintained during the Dodd family ownership and comes to the sale refreshed and ready to race.
The car has been well developed during their ownership and the 'Anderson Racing' Hart 420R, coupled to a J and P Hewland FG 400 transaxle are both recently rebuilt. The car is a consistent front runner and is well known for being both reliable and highly competitive. It has current FIA HTP and HSCC papers and would be both welcome, and a front runner, in the HSCC Pre 1980 Endurance series. A spares package including a set of wheels, wishbones and dampers are included.
1979 Ford Capri Grp 1 (Estimate £75,000 – 90,000)
When the seller purchased this Capri he was naturally curious about its history and his research lead to the understanding that this may have been Gordon Spice’s 'Autocar' Capri, chassis CC10. A letter on file confirms that Gordon Spice has inspected the car, and after a phone call to Dave Cook of CC Racing, who race prepared Spice’s Capris, confirming some key identifying marks, our vendor is confident that this is their 1979 car, CC10, and the car now proudly displays a stamped chassis plate to this effect.
The regulations had changed slightly at the start of the '79 season and CC10 was built to Group 1 and a half spec and went well, with 6 overall wins and lots of places in the Tricentrol British Saloon Car Championship. Abroad it had good outings at Nivelles, the Le Mans 4 hours, a 5th place at the Spa 24-Hour and a 2nd place at the 24-Hours of Paul Ricard.
The seller purchased this car for track days / BRDC Member's days and, at the time, it was in Group 2 form with the wide X-pack wings and other modifications. It was decided to return the car, as far as possible, to its 1979 specification. A lot of the original Group 1 parts (brakes, body panels, tailgate, windows and bumpers) were supplied from the previous vendor which made the task a little easier.
Believed to be original, the Neil Brown period engine had recently been rebuilt and all that was necessary was a change of rockers and guide plates back to the homologated ones, a correct inlet manifold with the larger Weber carb. and a new air box. A new oil cooler and radiator were also fitted.
The rear axle was changed back and period rear drums fitted along with the latest racing brake shoes.The front brakes were replaced to comply with the homologation papers and fitted with the correct calipers. Externally CC10 was completely stripped, surprisingly finding the original standard rear arches still in place, completely resprayed in it's original colour and refinished in correct period livery. This is a famous example of a model that dominated saloon car racing for several years and now looks fabulous.
Apart from being well known for its on-track success, CC10 has appeared in a number of DVDs, featured on the cover of Autosport and, we believe, is the car used by Corgi Models for their Corgi Vanguard "Gordon Spice " Capri (VA10804)
The car comes complete with a large quantity of Group 2 parts, spare rims, the appropriate Capri Homologation Papers, regs for the RAC British Saloon Car Championship 1979/1980 and, most generously, a number of Gordon Spice's trophies from the car's winning years. It also comes with professional set up sheets and data from back in the day, as well as period photographs and a spare engine.
1953 Turner 1.5 Litre Sports Racer (Estimate £80,000 – 100,000)
This is one of just seven cars built by Turner Sports Cars between 1950 and 1954, one being an F2 car and the others sports cars. This example is chassis number 006 and was built in 1952 and first road registered in 1953. It was originally purchased by Wilfred McDougall of Wolverhampton, who raced it at a number of different circuits and hill climbs around the UK during the mid 1950s, including Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Mallory Park, Oulton Park, Shelsley Walsh, Castle Combe and Charterhall in Scotland.
Turner 006’s full race history is still to be fully researched but race programmes in the history file for this early period of the car’s life include: Charterhall International in August 1953, Castle Combe in April 1954, Brands Hatch BRSCC and International in May 1955 and August 1954 respectively and Silverstone in August 1954. Although no evidence at this stage has been found linking 006 to Goodwood, it is interesting to note that two of its sister cars (Chassis 003/JDA 555 and Chassis 004/MAB 121) did race at Goodwood in period.
Following McDougall's early racing with the car, 006 was then advertised for sale by him in the January 1956 edition of Autosport Magazine. Subsequently it was raced by Sid Diggory, Gerhard Krassner and Peter Hill amongst others, with the car being re-bodied by Gerhard Krassner in c.1960 with Rejo bodywork. It raced with this body during the early 1960s, in some instances actually entered as a Rejo, including when raced by Krassner on 14th July 1962 at Oulton Park. Krassner continued to race the car until 1964, when he sold it to Peter Hill, and replaced 006 with an HWM-Jaguar.
In c.1968, Peter Hill decided to restore the car back to its original specification and was, fortunately, able to buy back the original body. By that stage, the well-known VSCC competitor Dr. Malcolm Brydson had acquired the original body from Krassner to fit to a Riley Kestrel Sprite chassis. Fortunately, Brydson had changed his plans and decided to race an Alvis instead and offered Peter Hill the original body in exchange for a collection of pre-war Norton Model 30 International parts. The car was then returned to its original specification and the Rejo body was sold and allegedly fitted to a Lotus XI. Peter Hill owned the car for almost 40-years, from 1964 to 2003, when it was sold to Ivan Dutton, the well-known Bugatti restorer and expert. Ownership of 006 was later transferred to a gentleman in Ireland who used the car in a number of displays and historic events in over there.
Turner 006 not only boasts an impressive specification but is supplied with FIA HTP Appendix K papers and the VSCC buff form. The car has recently benefited from extensive work by INRacing in preparation for the 2015 season, including work on the engine, gearbox, brakes and running gear. The car has also had a roll cage fitted by Andy Robinson Race Cars at the beginning of 2015. The vendor describes Turner 006 as "ready to race", having only completed one race meeting (Silverstone in June 2015) since the race preparation work was completed.
Usable both on road and track, Turner 006 provides an extremely eligible entry to some of the most prestigious historic motorsport events and series, including the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, the Woodcote Trophy, and the sportscar race at the Monaco Historic GP. It is also worth noting that a Kieft Turner competed in the 1956 Mille Miglia, so it is possible that Turner 006 could be considered for the current iteration of the rally, of course at the discretion of the event organisers.
