A very special Lotus 18 which was raced by Surtees is up for grabs at the Silverstone Classic sale. Car is well sorted and successful historic racecar - estimated at £65-£75k
Other highlights include a plethora of early air-cooled 911's and two display only jets - a Harrier Jump Jet and a Tornado F3 - the only privately owned example in the world.
Perhaps the most interesting cars on offer is a 1964 Alpine/Dinalpin A110 prepared to Group 4 spec by Alberto Pedrosa. These are effectively Alpine A110's which were built under licence in Mexico - and at an estimated value of £30-35k - or 50% of the cost of a Dieppe built car - this looks like an interesting candidate for some historic event action. Catalogue description says that it has a recently re-built 2.0 Litre engine, with quadruple Webber carburetors (meaning 2 twin choke sidedraughts) produces over 130 horse power? That is either an at the wheels figure or a very conservative figure...anyway weighing about 600kgs - it has to be a competitive proposition against hordes of 911's and possibly elans?
PR below:
- Auction includes Lotus 18 once raced by John Surtees- A wonderful piece of motor sport histor- Harrier Jump Jet and RAF Tornado also in Silverstone Classic Sale
The catalogue for this month’s expanded two-day Silverstone Classic Sale (26-27 July) contains a number of star lots including one of the first single-seater cars ever campaigned by racing legend John Surtees OBE.This year marks the 50th anniversary of Surtees becoming the only man to win World Championship titles on both two and four wheels, and a special BRDC Silverstone Classic Dinner in the Silverstone Wing building on Friday 25 July will honour his remarkable achievements.Surtees’ switch from bikes to cars started in 1960 and the Lotus 18 coming under the Silverstone Auctions hammer was the Formula Junior car acquired by then team boss Ken Tyrrell to speed up the change in discipline.Tyrrell was anxious to give Surtees his first win and persuaded Colin Chapman to supply him with a car – complete with a really top-notch Cosworth Ford engine – on the understanding the power unit would only be used in the Lotus. Surtees debuted the Lotus 18 at Snetterton in September and was dicing for the lead with Jim Clark before spinning back to finish in fourth.The car was subsequently raced to victory by Henry Taylor in a very wet Empire Trophy race – appropriately at Silverstone – and since then has more recently become hugely successful in historic Formula Junior with countless wins. It is estimated to be sold for between £65,000-£75,000. “We are delighted to be able to offer this wonderful piece of motor sport history in our sale at the Silverstone Classic,” said Nick Whale, managing director, Silverstone Auctions. “Surtees is one of the true greats of motor sport and it’s an honour to play a part in the history of a car he drove to such success.”Among a large number of notable lots under Silverstone Auctions’ hammer are two of the world’s most famous fighter aircraft from the Cold War era: a Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 Jump Jet plus a Panavia Tornado F3.Both have incredible histories and are offered without armaments and for display purposes only. The vertical take-off Harrier GR Mk3 on offer entered RAF service in 1976 and served a distinguished 15-year flying career with operations in Germany, Belize and the Falklands. Similarly the Tornado F3 swing-wing fighter to be auctioned has more than 3000 hours of active service including RAF exercises in Malaysia and Alaska. It is the only privately owned Tornado F3 in the world and represents an amazing opportunity for a discerning collector or investor to own what’s another very rare and exclusive piece of aviation history.
Among the other automotive lots are a number of significant Ferraris, Jaguars and Porsches – some with particular relevance to this year’s Silverstone Classic.
With the Ford Mustang celebrating its 50th birthday at the Classic, the inclusion of a resplendent 1965 289 Notchback is sure to whet some appetites. A rare 1996 Jaguar XJ220 – one of just 281 produced – will also attract considerable attention, not least as the incredible line-up of grids at this summer’s staging of the World’s Biggest Classic Motor Racing Festival includes a mouthwatering field of 90s GT Legends for the very first time.
A verified Mika Hakkinen race suit from 1994 and rare, original Steve McQueen ‘Le Mans’ movie poster are among a wide range of automobilia also up for grabs.
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