A Super Aguri F1 race car — the star attraction of an online auction of the team which went into administration earlier this year— was purchased for more than £85,000 by a Japanese buyer.

The three-day Internet-based auction was handled by the Birmingham office of SHM Smith Hodgkinson, the UK’s leading experts in commercial and industrial asset and property valuation on behalf of William Turner and Geoff Kinlan, liquidators from BDO Stoy Hayward LLP.

It sparked worldwide interest — particularly in the car driven by team leader Takuma Sato’s in 2006 Grand Prix. The  Super Aguri SA06 — minus its engine and gearbox — easily beat its pre-auction reserve price.

SHM’s Richard Mascall said: “We were absolutely delighted with the outcome. The car sold for £85,600 which is a more than respectable figure and easily more than the original reserve figure. It’s particularly nice that it has gone to a buyer from Japan because that was Super Aguri’s spiritual home, even if their base was in Oxfordshire.

“Throughout the build up to the auction there had an enormous amount of interest in the car and that translated into real significant bids.  The bulk of the other lots in the auction were withdrawn early into the sale following a deal between the Joint Liquidators from BDO Stoy Hayward and Formtech.

“Industry insiders have since told us that this bulk sale represents a great opportunity for an existing or up and coming team.”

Founded by former F1 driver Aguri Suzuki, Japan Super Aguri F1 competed in Formula One between 2006 to 2008. The team was based in Tokyo but operated from the former Arrows factory in Leafield. But after participating in the championship for just over 2 years the team withdrew from F1 part-way through the current season because of financial difficulties.