A 1996 Ferrari F355 GTS originally owned by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is being sold without reserve, by RM Sotheby’s Private Sales division.
Finished in Blu Le Mans over Pelle Crema leather, the former Schumacher Ferrari is offered by a Ferrari enthusiast who has owned it for more than 20 years. It was Ferrari Classiche certified in 2020 meaning it retains its original chassis, gearbox, bodywork and is finished in its original colour combination.
The Classiche certification also confirmed the car is no longer fitted with its original engine, but one of the correct type for the F355. Rumour has it Schumacher had a higher spec engine powering the car.
After winning his first world championship with Benetton in 1995, Schumacher switched to Ferrari for the following season and Ferrari gave their new driver a road car. It was the newest model in Ferrari’s line-up and perfect for the current world champion.
Built in early 1996 this F355 GTS is said to have been configured by Schumacher, with its most important feature being a six-speed manual gearbox, rather than the optional Formula 1-style automated manual.
Confirming its authenticity is a letter from Cavallari Monaco Motors substantiating ownership by the multiple world champion, along with photographs of Schumacher driving the car along with its original manuals and service book, showing delivery to Weber Management GmbH.
The car’s service book also notes it was delivered to Weber Management GmbH (the company of Michael Schumacher’s manager, Willi Weber) on April 30, 1996, and was delivered via Ferrari Deutschland GmbH in Wiesbaden, just two days after Schumacher finished second in the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.
Indications are Schumacher used the F355 GTS while residing in Monaco, as the car received its first service at Monaco Motors, the official Ferrari dealership in Monaco, on May 5, 1996, having already covered 1639 km and just prior to that year’s Monaco Grand Prix. Another letter confirms the GTS belonged to Schumacher and was serviced at their facility for him until September 1997.
An undated German newspaper clipping also shows Schumacher driving the car through Monaco. Although it is unknown how long Weber Management owned the F355 GTS for or how long it was used by Schumacher, the car had two further owners before being bought by the vendor at auction during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.
The vendor purchased it due to its specifications and fascinating Schumacher history. Prior to this the back of the driver’s seat was signed by Schumacher.
After the auction the vendor drove the F355 GTS home to Belgium from Monaco and has been using it regularly since. The F355 GTS has been featured in three magazine articles during its current ownership: The November 2006 issue of Forza magazine, the March 2013 issue of the German magazine Ferrari World, and the June 2021 issue of Auto Trends Classic magazine which was published in both Dutch and French.
In 2017, the car won Best of Show at Spa Italia in Belgium. Minichamps even made a series of 1:43 scale models of this car in a display with Michael Schumacher as the background. Having been driven approximately 21,000km prior to his purchase, the car is currently showing just under 47,500 kilometres.
BERNIE’S BARN SALE
Former F1 supremo, Bernie Ecclestone (above, at left) is selling off his extraordinary collection of historic Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars through Tom Hartley Jnr, a high-end classic, sports cars and racing car specialist.
Ecclestone, 94, was the man who made F1 the global sporting powerhouse what it is today. His collection of 69 historic Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars is one of the most impressive ever offered for sale.
Every one of Ecclestone’s cars is unique, having been stored away from the public, some for more than half a century. Many of the cars have never been seen since Ecclestone purchased them.
Highlights include F1 Ferraris raced by Mike Hawthorn, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher, and several Brabhams (Eccelstone owned the team) driven by Nelson Piquet, Carlos Pace and Niki Lauda. Among them is the one-off Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B ‘fan car’ that raced once, winning the Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp in 1978 by more than half a minute.
Bernie Eccelstone said: “I’ve been collecting these cars for more than 50 years, and I have only ever bought the best of any example. While many other collectors over the years have opted for sports cars, my passion has always been for Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars.
“A Grand Prix and in particular a Formula 1 car is far more important than any road car or other form of race car, as it is the pinnacle of the sport, and all the cars I have bought over the years have fantastic race histories and are rare works of art.
“I love all of my cars but the time has come for me to start thinking about what will happen to them should I no longer be here, and that is why I have decided to sell them. After collecting and owning them for so long, I would like to know where they have gone and not leave them for my wife to deal with should I not be around.
“Having collected what are the best and most original Formula 1 cars dating back to the start of the sport, I have now decided to move them on to new homes that will treat them as I have and look after them as precious works of art.”
Tom Hartley Jnr (above, at right) said: “This is quite simply the most important race-car collection in the world. There has never been and probably never will be a collection like it ever offered for sale again. The collection spans 70 years of Grand Prix and Formula 1 racing, and highlights include Mike Hawthorn, Niki Lauda, and Michael Schumacher World Championship-winning Ferraris, all of Bernie’s (Ecclestone) Brabhams including the famous ‘fan car’, and the Vanwall VW10, the car in which the great Stirling Moss won several Formula 1 Grands Prix on the way to Vanwall clinching the first ever Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championship in 1958, plus so much more.
“I feel very privileged that Bernie has entrusted the sale of his cars to my Tom Hartley Jnr business. Formula 1 cars are cars that I know particularly well, they are not just cars that I have a great personal interest in, but we at Tom Hartley Jnr actively buy and sell them, too. However, there has never been a collection like this one offered for sale, and no one in the world has a race-car collection that comes close to Bernie’s. This a great opportunity for a discerning collector to acquire cars that have never before been offered for sale, and it would be great to see them back on the track again.”
75 YEARS OF FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Goodwood’s Festival of Speed – July 10 to 13, will celebrate 75 years of the Formula 1 World Championship bringing together legendary cars, teams, drivers, designers and famous faces that shaped the sport over the past seven decades.
Over 80 significant Formula 1 cars will be on show and driven up the ‘Hill’ with the celebration providing event goers up close and personal access to the cars, drivers and teams operating behind the scenes. They will have the opportunity to watch the Formula 1 cars start up before making their way through the paddocks to take their place on the Hill, while rubbing shoulders with teams and drivers.
Six categories make up the F1 component of the Festival beginning with the Prologue class, offering a glimpse into the origins of the sport before Formula 1 existed. This class will showcase the groundbreaking machines that predate the World Championship as it is known.
The Pioneers class brings together the machines that helped launch the World Championship during its first decade, where many relied on pre-war engineering, but also saw the arrival of the first rear-engined Grand Prix winner, marking a pivotal shift in Formula 1, and racing in general.
Welcoming cars and drivers that epitomise the pinnacle of Formula 1 excellence, the Champions class will showcase those that have achieved the ultimate prize, creating an enduring mark on the sport’s legacy, while the Innovators class includes standout machines that pushed the boundaries of design – both the successfully and those best filed under ‘Brave but misguided’.
Highlighting the unexpected challengers and drivers who defied the odds to make their mark on the sport, the Underdogs class will celebrate the resilience, ingenuity and unexpected triumphs that have so delighted fans over the years.
Showcasing the pinnacle of modern motor sport, the final class will celebrate the very latest in Formula 1, whilst also looking ahead to what the future holds for the series.
The Duke of Richmond CBE DL, said: “For over three decades, the Festival of Speed has welcomed some of Formula 1’s most legendary drivers, teams and cars, giving fans unprecedented access to the sport they love.
“This year is no exception, and the team here at Goodwood is busy with preparations for what is set to be our biggest celebration of Formula 1 – in fact, our biggest celebration of anything ever! We’re hugely excited to be showcasing the past, present and future of a championship which, over the last 75 years, has established itself as the absolute pinnacle of world motor sport.”
VALE MECUM AUCTIONS’ JOHN KRAMAN
A cornerstone of Mecum Auctions and one of its most recognisable members, John Kraman, has died.
A statement from Mecum’s said: “Kraman played a pivotal role in the growth and success of Mecum Auctions, serving as a consignment director and becoming the unmistakable voice of Mecum television since 2008. His dedication to positioning the Mecum brand in the best possible light was more than a career – it was his life’s mission.
“Kramar set the standard for excellence, demanding accuracy, precision and the highest quality in everything Mecum’s did. He wasn’t just part of Mecum Auctions; he was Mecum Auctions, living and breathing its essence every day.”
A tribute by USA-based Hagerty said: “Kraman’s encyclopaedic car knowledge helped make sense of what people were seeing on the screen. Kraman loved cars, especially 1960s and ’70s American muscle cars, and he could talk all day about them, as well as about airplanes, guitars, motorcycles and motor sports. Nicknamed The Professor, he was generous with his time and worked hard to make the auction experience more engaging. If you were a car enthusiast lucky enough to have Kraman as a dinner companion, it was guaranteed the conversation would be enjoyable and eclectic.”
Los Angeles born, Kraman got bitten by the car bug early as his dad was a car salesman, and legend has it that from an early age he could name every car that drove by, a skill he never lost.
Kraman joined the auto repair business before moving to sales. In 2006 he joined Mecum Auctions as consignment director. When the auctions became televised, he was the on-screen analyst, later becoming Mecum’s official spokesperson.
FURIOUS CAMARO FOR GRABS
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! This 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 isn’t a replica, it’s the real-deal. Furious7 is the Camaro driven by Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson).
This silver powerhouse thrilled audiences when it was thrown out of a cargo plane, parachute blazing, before landing in the Caucasus Mountains in one of the most insane stunts the franchise has ever seen. This Camaro stole both the scene and proved it could handle anything; sky or street.
This Camaro doesn’t just have style, it’s got the creds to back it up. Every car used in the Fast & Furious franchise has been scene-certified, marked with the scene it starred in inscribed on the pillar door frame.
The production team built five replicas of a 1967 Camaro, modifying the 1968 Camaro and outfitting it with standardised hot-rodding parts designed for durability, performance and easy interchangeability, to handle the rigours of filming.
Since its movie debut, this Camaro has been restored to its original 1968 model, with the roll cage and other movie-specific features removed. However, its history, value, and reputation remain untouchable.
Worth $290,000, you can receive double entries to the giveaway through Classic for a Cause’s exclusive discount platform.
Visit classicsforacause.com.au to find out more.