Auction Date 27th July

Year: 1976
Registration: Not specified
Chassis Number: 16
Engine - Displacement: 1300
Cylinders: 4-Cyl.
Estimate - Range: £45000 - 50000

The Italian Formula Three series had emerged in the mid-1970s as perhaps the most important in the world along with the principal British championship. The Italian economy had proved more resilient than most, in the face of economic recession, and there was money to sponsor enough cars to make for a very competitive series.

Accordingly, March sold eleven of its total 763 production of sixteen cars in Italy. Raced in period by 'Gimax' (a mysterious but evidently wealthy Italian businessman who didn't take himself too seriously), Alessandro Cinotti, and Francesco Campaci, this March had mixed success with some handy qualification times but no race finishes during its nine competitive outings, with budget pressures preventing it from undertaking more events.

Such was the annual influx of new cars to Italy for the domestic series and the European title chase that cars owned by the more prosperous teams, such as Pavanello, often had short racing lives. Unless they were adopted and modified by an impoverished privateer, cars typically ran for only one or two seasons.

This was the case with 763-16 which seems to have been abandoned in the Pavanello workshop by the middle of 1977 after only nine events.Long since discovered, and very recently comprehensively rebuilt by expert craftsmen in Italy, Chassis #16 has fully restored aluminium panels, rebuilt drivetrain, is FIA HTP papered, fully in date and ready to race.

Eligible for the Monaco Historic amongst other blue ribband events, #16 which had previously been prepared by 'F1 Storiche' is a fine and competitive racer. #16 has a continuous chain of ownership from new, supported by CSAI documents from the mid-1980s onwards.
Interested parties are welcome to request a copy of the full 12-page Old Racing Cars Dossier which tells the full story of this March F3.