This month’s RM Sotheby’s auction in Monaco offers the chance to buy two of Formula 1’s most iconic cars.
Even more significantly, the F1 machines for sale were driven and owned by Nigel Mansell.
They’re part of a collection of five vehicles being auctioned by the 1992 Formula 1 World Champion, and could be the ultimate collector’s items for motorsport fans.
As the first car created by Adrian Newey when he joined the Williams F1 team, the FW14 was one of the most advanced racers on the grid in 1991.
A completely new design, the FW14 combined a 3.5-litre Renault V10 engine with a six-speed sequential semi-automatic gearbox. Newey’s expertise learned at March ensured the FW14 was cutting-edge when it came to aerodynamics.
The car had to deliver on-track, with Frank Williams having tempted Mansell to forget thoughts of retiring after the 1990 season.
Problems with the all-new gearbox hampered Mansell at the start of the season, but eventually the British driver was able to secure second place on the streets of Monaco.
FW14-5, the car up for auction, was chosen by Mansell ahead of the French Grand Prix. The British driver would go on to win in France, and follow this up by a meteoric victory at the 1991 British Grand Prix.
It would be here that Mansell, on his victory lap, gave Ayrton Senna a lift back to the paddock. This alone makes FW14-5 one of the most famous modern Formula 1 cars.
In total, FW14-5 took Mansell to five victories during 1991, and he has owned it since the end of that season. RM Sotheby’s expects it to sell for €1.5 million to €3 million (£1.28 million to £2.5 million) in Monaco.
Nigel Mansell became the last Formula 1 driver to be personally recruited to the Scuderia by Enzo Ferrari for 1989.
The Ferrari 640, designed by John Barnard, was one of the first F1 racers to use a semi-automatic sequential gearbox. New rules for 1989 saw turbocharged engines banned, with the 640 powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V12.
Mansell’s early promise with the 640 was shown by him setting a new lap record at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit during pre-season testing.
The opening race of the 1989 season gave Mansell a dream start to his Ferrari career, with the British driver fighting his way to claim victory.
A string of retirements and disqualifications would follow but, when the 640 worked, Mansell would finish on the podium. At the end of the season in 1990, chassis 109 was shipped to Nigel’s personal collection.
Responsible for Mansell’s first Ferrari victory, an auction estimate of €2.5 million to €5 million (£2.13 million to £4.2 million) seems reasonable.
The other three cars up for sale as part of the Mansell Collection include the 2005 Reynard 2KI driven by Nigel in the first Grand Prix Masters race. Mansell qualified on pole position at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa, and drove to a dominant victory at the age of 52.
A 1991 Birkin 7 Sprint and an unusual 1990 iC Modulo M89 three-wheeler complete the collection.
Taking place alongside the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, the RM Sotheby’s sale will be on 14 May 2022.
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