Two Formula 1 cars and an Ayrton Senna suit headline RM Sotheby’s Monaco Auction

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 19.04.2018

Absolute gold for the well-heeled F1 fan will be crossing the block next month in Monaco

Coinciding with the historic Monaco Grand Prix, RM Sotheby’s biennial Monaco auction will be held next month on the 12^th of May, with priceless historical F1 pieces up for grabs.

Alongside a gaggle of top-dollar Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches on offer; a 1992 Benetton B192 F1 car and a 1999 Jordan 199 F1 car will be going under the hammer with a 1987 Ayrton Senna F1 racing suit headlining the non-car memorabilia.

1992 Benetton B192 Formula 1 car

Presented in original Camel livery, this #01 chassis Benetton B192 was helmed by Michael Schumacher to his first ever podium, a P2 finish ahead of Senna’s Mclaren-Honda in the 1992 Spanish Grand Prix.

With correct Ford HB engine, the car is understood to have travelled approximately 1000kms since the engine’s last rebuild by Langford Performance Engineering.

The B192 will be sold with an accompanying spares package and a Certificate of authenticity by the Benetton team.

While on offer with no reserve, this car will likely fetch a hefty sum once the final hammer falls. A few Schumacher cars have notably been auctioned in the past, with his Ferrari F2004 selling in 2005 for AUD$4.1million dollars, and just last year his Monaco-winning F2001 sold for a whopping AUD$9.6 million.

1999 Jordan 199 formula 1 car

A small-budget constructors’ team from a bygone era, Irish team Jordan was a fixture in the F1 paddock from 1991 to 2005, throughout which many household names would pass through; including Michael (and Ralf) Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Martin Brundle.

This #3 chassis car placed second at the Australian Grand Prix in 1999 at the hands of Heinz-Harald Frentzen who that season, secured to P1s and five podium finishes, ultimately finishing third in that year’s Driver’s Championship. Jordan similarly finished third in that year’s Constructors’ Championship, their best ever season.

The #3 Jordan 199 drove in the first two races of the 1999 season, in the aforementioned GP in Australia, and at the second race at Interlagos, Brazil. For the remainder of the season, the car was retired as a spare car, and is believed to have never raced again.

Still possessing the original Mugen-Honda engine, and mostly complete sans gearbox internals and exhaust manifolds, steering wheel and box, the car represents an authentic piece of history from 90s Formula 1.

Few Jordan F1 cars have gone for sale in recent times; a 2003 Jordan EJ13 F1 car was listed for AUD$764,774 and Team Owner, Eddie Jordan’s 191 (the first Jordan F1 car, and driven by Michael Schumacher) went to market in 2014. However, being private sales, we are not aware of the end selling price.

Aryton Senna Formula 1 racing suit 1987

The Camel yellow racing suit donned by Aryton Senna in his maiden Monaco GP win, and his final win for Team Lotus will also be crossing the block come Sotheby’s Monaco Auction next month.

The suit was worn by Senna throughout the remainder of the 1987 season and ultimately appeared atop a further seven podiums.

Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, and an Aryton Senna signature on the abdominal Bank Nacional patch, Sotheby’s purports the suit was a gift from Senna to his physiotherapist’s brother who kept it as a ‘lucky charm’ for several years.

The suit was then sold to Canada, and now currently belongs to a gallery in Monaco.

Senna’s Camel suit will be offered without reserve, and follows few other Senna pieces sold prior. In 2014 a 1991 F1 season Senna suit was sold for AUD$87,000, and a 1991 Shoei helmet sold for AUD$146,123 back in 2012.

To view all available lots from next month’s RM Sotherby’s Monaco auction, click here.

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