For Sale

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

By Edward Jones – October 26, 2022

RM Sotheby's London 2022 Auction: 1993 Jaguar XJ220 S

Presented by RM Sotheby's. When the Jaguar XJ220 first broke cover at the 1988 British International Motor show, it caused a stir the like of which had never been seen in the Midlands city. Looking like something from another planet, long and missile-like, the wild concept only got more unbelievable as the specification was revealed: 6.2 litres; 12 cylinders; four-wheel drive. A car-mad public unsurprisingly went wild, jostling to put down £50,000 deposits to secure their position in the queue—among them Elton John and Rod Stewart. In less than one hour, some 1,500 people had placed a pre-order for the XJ220. Enthusiasm waned slightly in the face of a global economic recession, and with the economy facing an uncertain downturn, hundreds of would-be owners attempted to renege on the deal. A not inconsiderable change in specification was the oft-cited cause: by the time the XJ220 entered production, it had lost half its cylinders, almost half its capacity, and two driven wheels. But despite the re-evaluation by JaguarSport engineers, the performance figures spoke for themselves: with a 0-60 mph time of less than four seconds, the XJ220 exceeded its initial brief, while its top speed of 213 mph made it—until the arrival of the McLaren F1—the fastest production car the world had ever seen. A number of private owners began to campaign their newly acquired XJ220s with considerable success, and it wasn’t long before TWR eyed a return to Le Mans. By May 1993, the Oxfordshire outfit had unveiled its competition variant—the XJ220 C—at La Sarthe. The highly modified machine featured a fully detachable carbon composite nose, tail, and body panels; a stripped-out interior with Kevlar racing seat; and an up-rated version of the V-6 engine. It was the first of four prepared to IMSA Le Mans specification, three of which took to the Circuit de la Sarthe later that year. Two would retire, but the remaining car—driven by David Brabham, David Coulthard, and John Neilson—stormed to a class victory two laps clear of its nearest rival, only to be disqualified on a technicality a month later. In addition to the three endurance racers, TWR modified a further five road-going examples built to homologation requirements and dubbed the XJ220 S, unveiling the new model to the public at the 1993 Autosport Racing Car Show. Each finished in an eye-catching shade, chassis 220779 is one of these rare examples. Like the competition lightweights, this “Outrageous Orange” car had its aluminum bodywork removed—save for the door skins—and replaced with panels formed of carbon fibre composite. Similar modifications were made to the chassis tub, with wider sills, while an aerodynamic package consisted of a front splitter and an adjustable rear spoiler. The modifications not only gifted the XJ220 S greater downforce, but they also slashed the car’s kerb weight to just under 1,080 kilograms. The 3,498 cc V-6 was also fettled to produce a staggering 680 horsepower—an improvement of more than 138 horsepower over the standard road car. Chassis 220779 was completed on 21 April 1993, and is believed to have been retained by TWR until being sold to a Belgian collector in February 1998. In November 1999, the Jaguar was exported to the United States, passing to Keuylian Motors via Michael Sheehan’s European Auto Sales. It was sold again that same month, and remained with its new owner until 2007, when the car found a new home via Sheehan’s Ferraris-Online. It stayed in California until 2012, when it was purchased by well-known collector Jasbir Dhillon, joining a stable that included a Jaguar XJR-15. During his tenure, the car was displayed at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering in 2015. Dhillon kept the homologation special until 2018, when it was bought by the consignor and became part of The Gran Turismo Collection. This left-hand-drive homologation special has only 4,822 kilometers on its odometer at the time of cataloging. The Jaguar XJ220 S is quite simply one of the most striking and elusive supercars of its generation, a rarity endowed with the performance and jaw-dropping styling to rival even the wildest modern machinery. With only five examples ever produced, it seems unlikely that another will be available for public sale soon. This vehicle is offered from The Gran Turismo Collection, featured in RM Sotheby’s forthcoming London sale on 5 November at Marlborough House. Learn more and register to bid online. View This Car's Listing

By Edward Jones – October 25, 2022

RM Sotheby's London 2022 Auction: 1996 Bugatti EB110 Supe...

Presented by RM Sotheby's. In the late-1980s, supercar fans around the world were buoyed by the revival of Bugatti as a manufacturer of road cars. The celebrated marque had been dormant since 1952, yet Romano Artioli, Italian entrepreneur and Ferrari dealer, realized the value in revitalizing the company. He hoped to return Bugatti to its former glory by unveiling a new supercar that would bring the manufacturer into the modern age. Despite other revival and takeover attempts in the 1950s and 1960s, there had not been a new Bugatti for almost 40 years until the EB110 broke cover. Immediately setting his sights on a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Campogalliano, Italy, Artioli founded Bugatti Automobili SpA in October 1987 and broke ground on the factory over the following year. Another year on, in 1989, and the entrepreneur’s dream had begun to be realized. Paolo Stanzani and Marcello Gandini, famous for their involvement with the design of the Lamborghini Miura and Countach, were brought on-board to help envisage the renewed brand’s first supercar. The new Bugatti was finally unveiled to the world on 15 September 1991 at the Palace of Versailles, in front of the Grande Arche de la Défense in Paris. In celebration of what would have been Ettore Bugatti’s 110th birthday that same day, the car was appropriately named the EB110. The EB110 was designed around a 3.5-liter V-12 fitted with quad-turbochargers, immediately bringing the fight to rival supercar manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. Assembled just a stone’s throw from Maranello, Bugatti’s flamboyant and powerful EB110 gave buyers another option over the contemporary F40 and Diablo. Attractive design by Giampaolo Benedini and Marcello Gandini ensured the supercar was easy on the eye, while the interior was awash with leather and wood trim, a subtle nod to the detail and luxury found in road cars of Bugatti’s past. Setting his sights on even greater heights, Artiolo announced a more developed variant—the EB110 Super Sport—just six months after the launch of the landmark model. Announced at the 1992 Geneva International Motor Show, the new car’s 3.5-liter engine was refined to extract 603 horsepower, compared to the GT’s 550, thanks in part to a new ECU, larger injectors, and a less restrictive exhaust system. The new model also went on a crash diet, with selected aluminum panels replaced with carbon fiber. Thanks to these upgrades and modifications, the EB110 SS boasted a 0–60 mph time of just 3.2 seconds, with an incredible top speed of 216 mph. Sadly, in the face of worldwide economic recession, Artioli’s dream began to crumble. Bugatti was forced to close its doors in Italy for good in 1995, and while limited production was continued by Jochen Dauer—who had bought the company’s remaining assets—just 139 would be built in total, including 30 production Super Sports. The company would later be revived once more, acquired by the Volkswagen Group in 1998, and going on to evolve into the hypercar powerhouse that we know today. This EB110 SS was completed at the Campogalliano factory in Bianco Monaco over a dark blue leather interior with blue seatbelts, and was first registered for the road in April 1996. It is thought to have been delivered new to Monaco, where it remained until March 2012, when it was acquired by its current owner and entered The Gran Turismo Collection. The series of UK MoT certificates on file attest to occasional use over the years, with a slow rise in the odometer readings between tests. The Bugatti shows 24,467 kilometers on its dial at the time of cataloging, and the most recent MoT certificate was issued in September 2022. In the same month, Bugatti London carried out a medium EB110 service, re-gassed the air conditioning, and addressed other small faults in maintenance work totaling £8,108. Representing a fascinating period of Bugatti history, the EB110 is a landmark model that bridges the gap between the Grand Prix racers of the pre-war period with the record-breaking Molsheim hypercars of today. In Super Sport guise, the EB110 is presented in its most pure, powerful, and collectible form, and would make a fine addition to any collection of serious supercars. This vehicle is offered from The Gran Turismo Collection, featured in RM Sotheby’s forthcoming London sale on 5 November at Marlborough House. Learn more and register to bid online. View This Car's Listing

By duPont REGISTRY – October 24, 2022

Pristine 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo Listed for Sale

Presented by Private Seller. As far as daily-drivable sports cars go, the Porsche 911 Turbo is undoubtedly one of the most versatile. Powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six engine developing 540 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque routed to all four wheels via a seven-speed PDK transmission, it’ll hit 60 mph in under three seconds. Quickness aside, the Turbo’s appeal comes from the fact that while it’ll rip off quick launches, it doesn’t lose around-town comfort. It’s the kind of car equally at home on a track, in traffic, or on a long road trip. Listed for sale is a perfect example of a daily driver with supercar performance. It’s a 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo with just 11,000 miles (18,000 km) on the clock. It wears a sleek aesthetic with a black exterior and matching black leather interior, both in pristine condition. As far as options go, this Turbo features 20-inch Turbo S wheels, Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), Power Steering Plus, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, Front Axle Lifting System, and Adaptive Sports Seats Plus w/ Memory Package, to name a few. It is currently listed with an asking price of $179,995. For more information, please visit the link below. View Listing

By duPont REGISTRY – October 24, 2022

RM Sotheby's London 2022 Auction: 1991 Ferrari F40

Presented by RM Sotheby's. Providing one of the most visceral and raw driving experiences of the modern era, the Ferrari F40 is a legend that borders on the iconic. The final Prancing Horse-badged car to be overseen by Enzo Ferrari, its position in and significance to the Maranello story is undeniable—yet its brilliance belies a troubled gestation that could have so easily seen the project brought to a halt. The supercar was built to mark the 40th anniversary of the Modena firm, and was initially intended to fly the flag for Maranello in the most thrilling category to ever grace international competition: Group B. Ferrari engineers prepared the flagship 288 GTO to compete in Group B at Le Mans, developing the supercar into a race-bred motorsport variant dubbed the 288 GTO Evoluzione. Like so many promising models, the brakes were nearly applied to the project following the demise of the formula, which was terminated in the face of a series of accidents. But rather than consign its engineers’ efforts to the pages of history, management decided to use the 288 GTO Evoluzione as the basis of an incredible new roadgoing supercar—the last ever Ferrari model to be personally blessed by Il Commendatore. The F40 was built around the same 2,450 mm-wheelbase steel tube-frame chassis as the Evoluzione, though with the addition of extra bracing and bonded composite elements to increase strength and rigidity. Suspension was independent via four-wheel double wishbones—similar to that used on the 288 GTO—allied to coil-over Koni shock absorbers and four-wheel disc brakes. The bodywork, meanwhile, was the work of Leonardo Fioravanti, and comprised 11 separate panels formed of aluminum, carbon fiber, and Kevlar composite, with the final design honed and perfected in the wind tunnel at Pininfarina. As well as being incredibly strong, this radical bodywork contributed to an overall weight-saving of some 20 percent, aided by cloth upholstery, drilled pedals, pull-strap door releases, and polycarbonate plastic for the windows—though later cars would receive wind-up side windows. Beneath the F40’s futuristic wedge styling lay a version of the 288 GTO’s twin-turbocharged V-8, bored out to increase displacement to 2.9-liters and fine-tuned with an all-new ducted crankshaft, silver/cadmium con rod bushes, and hollow-stemmed valves. Feeding the fearsome engine were a pair of IHI turbochargers—turned up to 1.1 bar from 0.8 bar of boost—mated to Behr intercoolers, while power was transferred to the rear wheels via a five-speed transaxle with a gated gear stick. The result of Ferrari’s fettling was a staggering output from the type F120 040 engine of 478 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque. Performance was suitably seismic, with a blistering 0-60 mph sprint time of just 3.8 seconds and a record-setting top speed of 201 mph—besting the terminal velocity of local rival Lamborghini’s flagship Countach, and the much-anticipated technical masterpiece and fellow Group B descendent Porsche 959. Ferrari only intended to build 400 F40s, but when the car was unveiled to a rapturous reception at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1987, thousands of potential customers expressed their interest. After initially being increased to 950, the final production total eventually reached some 1,315, though in a market rife with speculation, many examples were quickly hidden away in climate-controlled private collections. Plenty, however, were driven as their makers intended, with period road tests giving prospective buyers a taste of what was to come. In 1988, Autocar’s Mel Nichols was able to put a press car through its paces at Fiorano, before concluding that “there’s little doubt it is the very personification of the term sports car”. Chassis 8895 is a European market example that entered production on 8 March 1991 and rolled out of the Maranello workshops on 21 March. The Rosso Corsa supercar was delivered to its first owner—a Monaco resident—on 30 April 1991, via Sa.Mo.Car SpA in Rome, Italy, and was promptly registered on tourist plates. The supplying workshop carried out the car’s first service on 3 May, and by 11 May the F40 was recorded by marque expert Marcel Massini as being in Monaco—likely having been driven back to the principality. Clearly an owner who believed in enjoying the car, it made the journey back to the supplying dealer for servicing in August 1992 and March 1994, when the mileage was noted as 8,851 kilometers. The Ferrari stayed in the care of its first owner until 8 July 1997, when it was bought by the consignor. It spent some time at his home in France before being imported to the UK, where it was road registered on 1 May 1998 and became part The Gran Turismo Collection. During the current ownership, this F40 suffered an accident which necessitated new front and rear clams, sourced from the factory, to be fitted. Benefitting from regular use, the odometer displayed 48,511 kilometers at time of cataloging. The car is accompanied by its owner’s manual and service book, numerous invoices and MoT certificates, plus spare brake discs and seatbelts. There are many factors that make the Ferrari F40 a special machine, from its record-setting top speed to its sublime, purposeful styling. But chief among them is Maranello’s unapologetic commitment to the basic elements that characterized the firm’s greatest sports cars. In the face of the technological wizardry of its rivals, Ferrari created a supercar that was almost shockingly simple—a combination of powerful mid-mounted V-8 engine, lightweight body, and rear-wheel drive—with a cabin that rejected creature comforts like leather seats and even door handles. Under the watchful eye of Enzo himself, Ferrari’s designers created, in essence, a race car for the road—a machine that came to epitomize the “era of excess” and redefine the very concept of a supercar. For a generation who had its poster pinned to their walls, the Ferrari F40 represented the pinnacle of automotive design and performance. As the years have passed, the F40 has only grown in significance, representing the final hurrah of the unassisted, analog supercar, and what many would regard as the quintessential Ferrari. With just two owners from new, 48,511 kilometers on the clock, and the benefit of regular use, this unmissable example offers you the chance to own the legend. This vehicle is offered from The Gran Turismo Collection, featured in RM Sotheby’s forthcoming London sale on 5 November at Marlborough House. Learn more and register to bid online. View This Car's Listing

By Edward Jones – October 23, 2022

The House That Newman/Haas Built: 1985 Lola-Cosworth T900

Presented by RM Sotheby's. The Newman/Haas Racing challenger for the 1985 CART PPG IndyCar World Series. MARIO ANDRETTI’S 1985 SEASON Coming off a championship-winning season in 1984, Mario Andretti’s incredible form continued through the first four rounds of the 1985 season. Opening with the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the racing legend cemented his mastery of the California street circuit once again by securing his third victory at the event. Sweetening the champagne in victory lane, additional bonus points for leading the most laps and securing pole position secured a complete lead of the championship. That year, the 69th running of the Indianapolis 500 proved to be one for the history books. Mario built momentum over the month of May, setting a time of 214 mph during practice and making him a favorite for the pole. Unfortunately, top honors were laid upon Pancho Carter, leaving Mario on the inside of row two. When the green flag waved, Bobby Rahal darted to the lead with Andretti in hot pursuit. The rate of attrition amongst the frontrunners during the first stage of the race gave Mario a promising lead. Yet Danny Sullivan in his Penske car began to gain ground on Mario and, just past the halfway point of the race, he pulled up behind Andretti. Diving low into turn one, Sullivan made the pass, but the rear end of the car snapped entering the short chute. Keeping his composure through a 360-degree spin, Sullivan was able to avoid the wall and continue on the race course. Both competitors screeched into the pits soon after. The battle continued after a caution period, and Sullivan repeated his dive into turn one. This time the move stuck, and he charged ahead to take the win. Though Andretti led 107 laps of the race, Sullivan’s famous “spin and win” gave him the glory, while Mario’s second Indy 500 win remained elusive. Rebounding from the loss, Mario went on to win the next two races at the Milwaukee Mile and Portland International Raceway, further increasing his championship lead. Unfortunately, at the Michigan 500, he suffered one of the worst crashes of his career with less than 10 laps to go in 3rd place. Andretti was sent to the hospital with a broken hip, collarbone, and four ribs. The champion would struggle for the rest of the season, competing with immense pain, and by the final event, he had slipped down to 5th in the championship standings. What began as a promising championship run turned into one of the toughest seasons of Mario’s long and storied career due to poor luck and injury. THE LOLA T900 After winning the previous year’s championship, an evolution of the T800 resulted in Lola’s T900 for the 1985 season. The newer car was stiffer and featured revised aerodynamics for regulations designed to reduce speeds on the high-speed ovals throughout the calendar. In addition, new safety regulations called for improved frontal protection for the drivers, resulting in longer and more robust nose cones. The racecar was composed of a honeycomb aluminum lower section bonded to a molded upper Kevlar honeycomb composite top section for weight saving and simplicity. Up front was a pull-rod suspension with unequal-length double wishbones, while the rear arrangement of double wishbones with outboard-mounted springs kept clear of the venturi tunnel. AP four-piston calipers clamped ventilated discs through separate front and rear master cylinders. To meet the demands of the various disciplines, a high-downforce specification was available for short ovals, road courses, or street circuits. For the superspeedways, the setup included low-drag wings worked to slice through the air. A Cosworth DFX turbocharged V-8 engine served as the heart of the racecar and was reported to produce approximately 700 horsepower with alcohol fuel. An example of this impressive engine is fitted to this chassis today. This racecar will be offered without reserve at RM Sotheby’s The House That Newman/Haas Racing Built sale, taking place 29 October. View more and register to bid online at rmsothebys.com today. View Listing

By Edward Jones – October 22, 2022

The House That Newman/Haas Built: 1983 Lola-Cosworth T700

Presented by RM Sotheby's. The first car run by Newman/Haas Racing. THE ORIGINS OF NEWMAN/HAAS The unlikely duo of Chicago businessman Carl Haas and movie star/racecar driver Paul Newman began as fierce competitors within the CanAm series. Haas had experienced great success winning the championship four years in a row between 1977–1980, and he was the North American distributor of Lola race cars. As such, Carl supplied cars to Newman—who claimed they typically arrived late and overweight. Despite their less-than-cordial relationship, one day Haas called Newman and asked if he wanted to go Indy Car racing together. Paul immediately denied the request, but Carl persisted and claimed he could get Mario Andretti behind the wheel. Andretti had known of Haas, and greatly respected his dedication to the sport and the way in which he ran his team. A deal was stuck in October 1982, and the triumvirate was formed. While Lola had previously achieved great success in the category, famously winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1966 with Graham Hill and in 1978 with Al Unser Sr., the firm had no current design in production when Newman/Haas was established. With the first race of the season occurring just six months ahead in March, there was limited time to produce a brand-new design from scratch. The original design of the car happened in a matter of weeks, and when it finally arrived in the United States, the team was less than impressed. Thanks to Andretti’s experience and Haas’ determination to see the project through, and with the insight of engineer Tony Cicale and chief mechanic Darrell Soppe, the car was greatly revised over the following months. New parts were added, including a single-piece carbon underwing, while a strengthening regime increased the performance of the car further. Andretti secured a first pole position with the updated machine, contesting The Cleveland 500 at Burk Lakefront Airport. The same feat was achieved at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. giving the team its first race victory. The season concluded with an additional victory at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix and three podium finishes. Finishing 3rd in the championship, Andretti, Haas, and Newman proved they were capable of success with underperforming equipment. The groundwork had been laid, and a decade of dominance followed with 42 wins out of 160 races by 1993. Indy Car had a new powerhouse. THE LOLA T700 Just three examples of the Lola T700 were produced, with two going to the newly formed Newman/Haas team and the third shipped to the Armstrong Moulding team for Steve Krisiloff to run the Indianapolis 500. A skirted ground effect car, The T700 is composed of an aluminum honeycomb monocoque structure with a glass-reinforced plastic body and a carbon fiber rear wing. In order to maintain clean airflow through the venturis, the rear suspension utilized outboard springs and dampers operated by pushrod and reversed twin wishbones. In addition, a completely novel “roll control link” system, which was believed to be lighter and simpler, took the place of conventional anti-roll bars. Up front featured pull rod-operated front suspension with inboard springs and dampers. Four-piston A.P. hydraulic brakes with vented discs were responsible for bringing the car to a stop. A Cosworth-Ford DFX turbocharged V-8 engine served as the heart of the racecar, and was reported to produce approximately 700 horsepower with alcohol fuel. Being the very first Newman/Haas racecar, the T700 presents as an incredibly significant piece of Indy Car history. It laid the foundations for one of the most dominant motorsport teams of the 20th century, and it is additionally responsible for continuing the Andretti legend well into the 1980s. With so few built, and the unique history of this particular chassis, it represents a one-of-a-kind opportunity for a dedicated collector. This racecar will be offered without reserve at RM Sotheby’s The House That Newman/Haas Racing Built sale, taking place 29 October. View more and register to bid online at rmsothebys.com today. View Listing

By Edward Jones – October 21, 2022

RM Sotheby's Private Sales: One-Off Nardo F40 “Competizione”

Presented by RM Sotheby's. Undoubtedly the most iconic supercar of the 1980s, the Ferrari F40 was nothing short of a sensation when it was announced and remains a global icon to this day. Although the car was never originally intended for racing use a number of individuals saw its potential. Ferrari would eventually authorize Michelotto to produce a series of racing examples that adhered to IMSA rules, giving the world’s fastest production car a chance to earn its keep on the race track. " width="680"> Michelotto built up nineteen F40s that were classified as F40 LM (for Le Mans). Seven F40 GTs were built by Michelotto for use in the Italian Supercar Championship, followed by a further seven built for the BPR Global GT Series referred to as the F40 GTE, an evolution of the LM. With the success and excitement created around the appearance of the aforementioned F40 LM’s GT and GTEs, a number of other F40s which were born as road cars were upgraded for use in racing, such as the example offered here. Originally constructed as an early ‘non-cat, non-adjust’ F40, chassis number 80782 was delivered new to Kroymans BV, the official Ferrari importer of the Netherlands following completion at the factory in November of 1989. The car remained in the Netherlands and three years after departing the factory, it was rebuilt for racing by Peter van Erp of Cavallino Tuning, the racing arm of Kroymans. No work was done to the engine at this time, but van Erp modified the suspension by fitting all-new racing shock absorbers produced by Intracks, a Stack instrumentation system, brakes, and bodywork including a repaint in yellow. Upon completion, the F40 was sold to Dutch Racing Promotions of Blaricum, the Netherlands for use by Mr. H. W. te Pas. Over the course of the 1993 and 1994 seasons, it was raced by Mr. te Pas alongside Dunclan Huisman and David Hart. In 1995, chassis 80782 was further modified to remain competitive in racing. The work was carried out by G-Tex of the UK and was overseen by Will Gollup. This included the fitment of an upgraded roll hoop and air jacks. It is believed that at this time the car underwent major engine work, increasing output to well over 700 bhp. Documentation accompanying the car indicates that this work was done in collaboration with famed racing shop Michelotto. The car was later further modified by David Hart for participation in the Ferrari/Porsche Challenge, driven by Hart and Mike Hezemans and raced again in the same series in 1998, again with H. W. te Pas, David Hart, and Bert Ploeg. Later in 1997, the car was sold to Ferrari collector and racing driver Michel Oprey. The car replaced his Ferrari 348 GT and was campaigned very successfully in the Ferrari-Porsche Challenge in the 1990s. Oprey commissioned further mechanical work on the car which was done throughout the winter of 1997-1998. With Oprey, the car was raced until 2006. That same year, the car was sold to a UK-based racing team, who continued racing the car until 2009. With a previous owner, the car was serviced by Elias Elia of Autofficina in Eposom, Surrey in the UK in 2019. This included crack-testing the suspension, fitting new fuel tanks as well as fitting a new fire extinguisher Upon its acquisition by the current owner, the F40 was shipped to the famed Zanasi Group of Maranello, Italy. Just a stone’s throw from the Ferrari factory, Zanasi has enjoyed a nearly sixty-year relationship with Ferrari and is the official shop for all of Ferrari’s extracampionario paintwork requirements, Supercars, Tailor-Made editions, and Icona series cars. As part of a cosmetic restoration the car was completely disassembled with the body fully stripped to its bare materials. The car was then repainted in triple-layer Grigio Nardo in place of the traditional red, with contrasting electric blue fabric seats and painted Scuderia Ferrari shields, in the style of the Scuderia Ferrari sports racing cars from the 1960s. At the same time, the car was also mechanically serviced. Invoices for the work at Zanasi total to over €123,000.00 with work completed just a few months ago. Today, it is rated at producing between 700 and nearly 1,000 bhp based on setup, making for a truly thrilling driving experience. For many of the most famous road-going GT cars of Ferrari’s golden years, such as the 275 GTB/4 and 250 GT Lusso, it was rare for examples to have period racing history. Today those cars which do have period race history are often considered among the most valuable examples. It is similarly rare for F40s to have any form of period racing provenance, a select group to which this car belongs. The F40 is widely viewed as one of the greatest road-going GT models built by Ferrari, and this example offers the next owner a truly unique opportunity. Boasting a fascinating history and presented today in a unique and eye-popping configuration, this F40 absolutely stands out from its siblings both cosmetically and mechanically, offering a truly mesmerizing driving experience. This vehicle is available for direct acquisition through RM Sotheby’s Private Sales division. Contact a Car Specialist today to discuss adding this exciting Ferrari to your garage! View This Car's Listing

By Edward Jones – October 21, 2022

The House That Newman/Haas Built: 2004 Lola-Cosworth-Ford...

Presented by RM Sotheby's. Newman/Haas Racing’s 2004 Champ Car World Series-winning chassis. NEWMAN/HAAS ENTERS A NEW MILLENNIUM Entering the 2001 CART FedEx Championship Series, it seemed that the perennial title-chasers Newman/Haas Racing were beginning to lose their grip. Though the team’s duo of young Brazilian drivers, Cristiano da Matta and Christian Fittipaldi, offered a glimmer of hope, Newman/Haas was entering the eighth season of their championship drought (the longest in team history). Yet morale was still high for the struggling team, and the upcoming season provided further promise in the adaptation of Lola’s new B01/00 chassis, and Toyota’s “RV” V-8 engine. THE B01/00 AND RV V-8 Newman/Haas took delivery of their first batch of B01/00 chassis from Lola in late November 2000. Importantly, these were separated into road course (01) and superspeedway (00) configurations. Featuring a carbon fiber monocoque with a double-wishbone suspension utilizing rigid-alloy buttresses and inboard shocks at both the front and rear, the B01/00 was a new, but largely conventional, progression with which CART’s outstanding downforce regulations could be utilized to great effect. Additionally, Newman/Haas reached an agreement with Toyota to run their V-8 engine. This turbocharged engine displaced 2.65 liters in a 90-degree V configuration, with all-aluminum construction throughout. Redline arrived at an ear-melting 15,000 rpm, and peak power was reported to be in excess of 900 horsepower while burning methanol. With these incredible powerplants and downforce packages, these turn-of-the-millennium CART drivers regularly reached speeds exceeding 240 mph on a superspeedway. CHASSIS 01-14 IN 2001 This Lola “Road Course” chassis offered here, 01-14, was originally delivered to Newman/Haas Racing for the 2001 season and then assigned to the team’s #2 driver, Christian Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi first tested the car on 31 January 2001 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and then 20 February at Sebring in preparation for the season opener at Mexico’s Tecate-Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey on 10 March. In this race, he earned his first DNF for 2001. Fittipaldi’s best result came on 24 June, when he used this chassis to secure a 3rd place finish at the Freightliner/G.I. Joe’s 200 at West Delta Park-Portland Raceway. 2004 REBIRTH: ENTER COSWORTH Newman/Haas Racing’s 2003 season saw Fittipaldi and de Matta substituted for fellow Brazilian Bruno Junqueira and reigning Formula 3 champion Sébastien Bourdais, who respectively finished that season 2nd and 4th in the Drivers’ Championship. Meanwhile, CART had declared bankruptcy and been reorganized by January 2004 under new owners as the Bridgestone Champ Car World Series. 2003 also saw Cosworth Racing (now the series’ sole engine supplier) release their XFE V-8 engine, which presented a tremendous—and vastly redesigned—improvement over their previous offering in terms of robustness, reliability, cost, weight, balance, and power efficiency. Further, CART revised their supremely controversial turbo manifold “pop-off” valve, thereby allowing Cosworth to greatly reduce the XFE’s engine speed and increase boost within its newly configured turbocharger. Pulled from storage at Newman/Haas Racing’s headquarters in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Chassis 14 was resurrected and brought into updated specifications for use in the upcoming 2004 season. With a new powerplant, revised aerodynamics, and—most importantly—the steady hands of driver Sébastien Bourdais, the reborn Lola would prove a dominant force. THE 2004 CHAMP CAR SEASON Bourdais tested this car through mid-April 2004 at Sebring International Raceway and California Speedway (Fontana) in preparation for the season’s debut at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on 18 April. During qualifying, Bourdais piloted Chassis 14 to a blistering time of 1:09.800, good for 2nd place on the grid, just 9/10ths of a second behind teammate and pole-sitter Bruno Junqueira. The main event followed much of the same pace, but ended when Paul Tracy slipped by both Newman/Haas drivers to take the checkered flag. Long Beach was nonetheless a remarkably impressive debut for Bourdais with his updated Lola, securing 3rd overall and fastest-lap honors. Chassis 14 continued its stellar trajectory for the Tecate-Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey at Fundidora Park on 23 May. Starting from pole, Bourdais maintained a remarkable pace that complemented a brilliant pit strategy; he set the race’s fastest lap (nearly breaking the track record, too), led for 32 of 72 laps, and crossed the line with a nearly four-second gap over the 2nd-place Junqueira. On 20 June at the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland, Bourdais, yet again, kept up his incredible pace from pole to secure his second victory of the season with this Lola chassis. Additionally, he also leapfrogged over Junqueira for the leading spot in the Drivers’ Championship. Two weeks later, Bourdais polished off the same exact result following the Molson Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place, where he again started on pole with this Lola-Cosworth and grabbed the win just ahead of Jimmy Vasser, while also earning another fastest lap accolade. The Grand Prix of Road America on 6 August saw Bourdais lead from pole for the fourth time, though he battled through a closely fought, 48-lap contest to finish 3rd—just over three seconds behind winner Alex Tagliani. He would quickly rectify this slim defeat by dominating the following race at Denver—though not with Chassis 14, which was not pressed into action again until the Bridgestone-Corona 400 at Las Vegas Speedway on 25 September. At Las Vegas, Bourdais qualified 3rd. The blinding pace of both dialed-in Newman/Haas cars of Bourdais and Junqueira gave the team an awesome 1-2 finish. Bourdais secured his sixth win, and the team had all but guaranteed themselves a championship. But which driver would raise the trophy? FLAT-OUT TO THE FINISH Another 1-2 finish at the Lexmark Indy 300, with Junqueira leading Bourdais, meant that the Frenchman now kept a narrow lead of just 22 points. So long as he finished above 11th at the season finale on 7 November in Mexico City, the Drivers’ Championship was his. Not one to cut it close, Bourdais took this Lola-Cosworth on a closing act to remember. A flat-out qualifying session earned him pole for the start of the Telmex-Tecate-Banamex Grand Prix at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. In a show of complete domination, Bourdais did not relinquish his lead even once during the 63-lap finale—despite two pitstops and a spin on lap 42 which saw his ridiculous 17-second lead reduced to five seconds. Despite cautious reminders from race engineer Craig Hampson, Bourdais took Chassis 14 flat-out the whole time, setting yet another fastest lap en route to his title-clinching win. Across 13 races with Bourdais, this remarkable Lola-Cosworth earned five poles, five victories, two additional podiums, six fastest laps, and 369 points, which gifted the impossibly quick Frenchman the first of his four consecutive Champ Car titles with Newman/Haas Racing.After the 2004 season, the car was displayed for several years in the lobby of Newman/Haas Racing’s headquarters, alongside some of the other championship-winning chassis on offer from the Haas Collection. Presented today still wearing the famous McDonald’s livery, fitted with a period-correct Cosworth engine, and accompanied by workshop manuals, laptop, and cable, this is an incredible opportunity to acquire a championship-winning car directly from one of the most famous teams in American open-wheel racing: Newman/Haas Racing. This racecar will be offered without reserve at RM Sotheby’s The House That Newman/Haas Racing Built sale, taking place 29 October. View more and register to bid online at rmsothebys.com today. View Listing

By Edward Jones – October 20, 2022

The House That Newman/Haas Built: 2007 DP01-Cosworth

Presented by RM Sotheby's. Six victories among 10 starts during the 2007 Champ Car season. In the fourth, and what would prove to be its final, year of operation, the rebranded Champ Car series (formerly known as CART) underwent further changes for the 2007 season, a swansong campaign that paved the way to reunification with the Indy Racing League a year later. For the first time since 2003, European races were added to the schedule, at Zolder and Assen, and 2007 saw the complete elimination of oval-track races in favor of street-track courses that emphasized chicanes. Most notably, Panoz was chosen to be the sole chassis provider for 2007, delivering the DP01 open-wheel racecar built by its sister affiliate Elan Motorsport Technologies. The carbon fiber monocoque DP01 was designed with numerous improvements over the outgoing Lola chassis, most significantly channeling increased airflow to a revised underbody design for greater downforce that was less dependent on the front and rear wings. This ensured improved safety at high speed, which was further bolstered with a more upright seating position and the implementation of the HANS driver harness. Exclusively fitted with the latest Cosworth XFE turbocharged V-8, which now developed as much as 950 horsepower, the DP01 was capable of accelerating to 60 mph from standstill in just 2.2 seconds, and to 100 mph in 4.2 seconds, with a blistering top speed of 240 mph. Despite its raw performance and advanced design, the DP01 enjoyed only one full season of active use in Indy racing, as it was abandoned after the 2008 Long Beach Grand Prix when Champ Car folded into the IRL, which was already contracted to run Dallara chassis. The resulting IndyCar Series continues to this day. A SPECTACULAR FINAL CART SEASON On the heels of three consecutive championships with driver Sébastien Bourdais from 2004 to 2006, Newman/Haas Racing returned to competition in 2007 with a promising young rookie Graham Rahal, son of the accomplished Bobby Rahal. This DP01 is one of a handful of examples that were delivered new to Newman/Haas Racing for the 2007 season, and it became the primary car driven by reigning champion Sébastien Bourdais. Decorated with the iconic McDonald’s sponsorship livery, chassis number DP01-021 performed admirably through 10 starts during the 14-race season, winning six races. According to a race/practice/test lap chart on file, the DP01 was first used for testing by Bourdais in March 2007 at Laguna Seca before being transported to Las Vegas for the season-commencing race. Working through some teething issues, 021 finished only 13th at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in early April, but it bounced back in commanding form a week later at the Long Beach Grand Prix, where Bourdais put the car on the pole and went on to roar to victory. The Long Beach win was followed by two consecutive 1st-place finishes at Houston and Portland, with Bourdais respectively qualifying for 2nd and 3rd-place starting positions. For the two ensuing races, at Cleveland and Mont Tremblant, Bourdais piloted one of the sister cars to unspectacular results while 021 remained waiting in the wings.In early July this Panoz returned to action at the Toronto Grand Prix, finishing 9th, and three weeks later the car finished 5th at the San Jose Grand Prix. In the interim Bourdais accomplished a win in one of the sister cars at the Edmonton Grand Prix, a result he repeated at Road America in mid-August. On 26 August DP01-021 returned for the remaining four races of the season, as Bourdais qualified for pole position and took the checkered flag at the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder. A week later at Assen in The Netherlands he put the car on the pole but finished a disappointing 7th. At Surfers Paradise, Australia, in late October, Bourdais started in 4th place and advanced to a win, setting the table for the finale in Mexico City three weeks later. Bourdais qualified for a 2nd-place start at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez before advancing to take the win, giving him eight victories for the year, including six in chassis number DP01-021. His commanding 83-point lead in the drivers’ standings earned him his fourth consecutive Champ Car championship, and Newman/Haas’ eighth. Following some testing at Long Beach in April 2008 by rookie driver Justin Wilson, the DP01 was retired, and with the unified IndyCar Series now relying exclusively on Dallara chassis, the Panoz was domiciled within the protective environs of the Newman/Haas Racing collection. Continuing to benefit from a life of care within its only ownership, this powerfully specified and beautifully preserved DP01 is a striking testament to the final Champ Car season. As the primary car driven by Sébastien Bourdais on the way to his fourth championship, and Newman/Haas Racing’s eighth (and final) championship, this car represents the important conclusion to a significant chapter in Indy racing history. Accompanied by workshop manuals, laptop, and cable, it would make a brilliant addition to any competition collection, particularly suited to Champ Car enthusiasts and aficionados of the short-lived, but awesomely engineered, Panoz DP01 chassis. This racecar will be offered without reserve at RM Sotheby’s The House That Newman/Haas Racing Built sale, taking place 29 October. View more and register to bid online at rmsothebys.com today. View Listing

By Edward Jones – October 19, 2022

The House That Newman/Haas Built: 1984 Lola-Cosworth T800

Presented by RM Sotheby's. A significant contributor to Mario Andretti’s famous 1984 CART championship season. Quite possibly the most successful racing driver of all time, Mario Andretti is that rare sports figure that so transcended his niche he became a household name, a synonym for speed among average Americans. During a 42-year career, Andretti achieved countless metrics and superlative claims, winning 120 races in 950 starts across Formula One, IndyCar, World Sportscar Championship, NASCAR, midget car, and sprint car racing. Along the way he roared to four IndyCar championships and one Formula One championship, and three times was voted the Driver of the Year (awarded by a panel of motorsports writers to the year’s most accomplished American driver). Perhaps no phase of Andretti’s career was more pivotal than his 1983 arrival to CART, the upstart sanctioning body of IndyCar competition that challenged the USAC’s long dominance of American open-wheel racing. After six years of primarily competing in Formula One, Andretti joined CART in 1982 for Patrick Racing, lasting one season before he was recruited for 1983 by the new team founded by Carl Haas and Paul Newman. The two accomplished racing luminaries built the team entirely around Andretti’s prominence and skillset, establishing a contender that would not soon fade away. Newman/Haas Racing eventually went on to win eight IndyCar championships over 29 years, claiming 107 wins for points (and one additional non-points exhibition race, for a total of 108 victories) and 110 pole positions. ANDRETTI, NEWMAN/HAAS, AND THE T800 Newman/Haas Racing was one of the first teams to campaign Lola chassis in CART, starting with the T700 Andretti drove in 1983, which brought home two victories. Encouraged by the T700’s promise, Lola invested significant time and engineering to develop a successor for 1984. The resulting T800 was engineered by former Formula One designer Nigel Bennett and Mark Williams, with Lola founder Eric Broadley contributing the high-speed longtail and an unusual gearbox design, in which the cast magnesium casing was lowered to accommodate the turbocharger, significantly lowering the car’s center of gravity in the process. Powered by a dry-sump 2.65-liter Cosworth Ford DFX V-8 good for approximately 800 horsepower, the T800 was the first Lola to extensively feature carbon fiber construction. Carbon composite was woven to form the model’s wind-tunnel-developed top section and nose, which was bonded to an aluminum-honeycomb driver’s tub for true monocoque design. The 109-inch-wheelbase chassis featured driver-adjustable suspension elements and dual master cylinder-actuated outboard ventilated disc brakes to contribute to highly competitive handling and stopping power, which Andretti utilized to great effect during the 1984 season—culminating in Newman/Haas Racing’s first CART championship, and Mario’s fourth Indy Car title. CHASSIS HU 2 According to the records of Lola Heritage, chassis number HU 2 is one of five total examples built, and one of three that were delivered new to Newman/Haas Racing for the 1984 season. It was a central component in Andretti’s ensuing championship season, during which he claimed six victories in 16 races, fiercely battling Mayer Racing’s Tom Sneva and Penske’s Rick Mears—a future legend in his own right. At the season-commencing Long Beach Grand Prix on 1 April, Mario earned the pole position by more than half a second. He led for the entire race before winning by more than a minute. Following an early retirement at Phoenix two weeks later, Andretti flashed great power at the Indianapolis 500 qualifying sessions, becoming the first driver to lap the Brickyard at 212 mph. Spark plug issues eventually relegated Mario to 6th place on the starting grid, but by lap 100 he was holding steady in 4th place. Mechanical problems soon forced his car to lose pace, and on lap 153 an accident in the pits necessitated another early retirement. Following an 8th-place finish at the Milwaukee Mile and a DNF at Portland, Andretti got back on track with a dominating win in the Meadowlands Stadium parking lot on 1 July, catapulting him to 2nd in driver’s points, just 16 points behind Sneva. A pole position start at Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport ended in another retirement, but an accident-plagued afternoon at the Michigan 500 in late July saw Andretti emerge victorious, notching his first oval win of the year, and his first 500-mile victory since the 1969 Indy 500. Andretti roared to his fourth victory of the year at the Road America 200 in early August, overtaking Sneva by one point for the championship lead. After breaking two ribs in a boating accident, Mario powered through adversity to win the Mid-Ohio 200 a month later, leading for the entire race while beating the 2nd-place local favorite Bobby Rahal by more than 30 seconds. In late September Andretti triumphed in his sixth race of the season at the 200-mile Detroit News Grand Prix at the Michigan Speedway, building a 15-point lead in driver’s points over the 2nd-place Sneva. After an accident led to a 12th-place finish at Phoenix, Andretti turned in cautiously conservative performances at the season’s final two races at Laguna Seca and Las Vegas, finishing 2nd at both contests for a 13-point lead over Sneva. Andretti had won his fourth IndyCar championship, and Newman/Haas Racing’s first, while establishing the pure power and agility of the Lola-Cosworth T800. The performance prompted numerous orders to the British manufacturer for the 1985 season, catalyzing the eventual displacement of March as the dominant Indy Car chassis. According to Newman/Haas Racing, this T800 on offer was used in four races in the 1984 season, including the Dana Rex Mays Classic on 3 June 1984 held at the Milwaukee Mile, where Mario Andretti started 3rd and finished 8th; the Meadowlands Grand Prix held on 1 July 1984 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where Mario Andretti started 1st and impressively led every single lap of the 100-lap race, securing his second 1st-place finish of the season; and Mid-Ohio 200 held on 2 September 1984 in Lexington, Ohio, where Mario Andretti started 1st and led 78 laps of the 84-lap race on route to his fifth 1st-place finish of the season. The final race this car campaigned under the Newman/Haas Racing banner was on 14 October 1984 at the Stroh’s Bobby Ball Memorial 150 held at the Phoenix International Raceway. Mario Andretti started 7th and led 59 laps but finished 12th. In total, Andretti-piloted Lola T800s won six races, taking eight poles while leading 572 out of 2,285 laps, and earning Mario his final IndyCar championship and third “Driver of the Year” award. This car, claiming two of the six race victories with Mario Andretti behind the wheel, was a significant contributor to the Newman/Haas Racing team success in 1984. Following the successful 1984 season, on 31 January 1985, the 1984 Lola T800 (chassis number HU 2) was sold. Following this transaction, it is believed the car was assigned a new CART serial number, CART Serial No. 423 (which remains on the car today), as another team would use this car in the 1985 and 1986 IndyCar seasons. On 25 August 1995 Carl A. Haas re-acquired this 1984 Lola T800 (chassis number HU 2) which was re-liveried to its successful 1984 Newman/Haas Racing-Mario Andretti appearance and fitted with a period-correct engine, as presented today. Mario Andretti remained with Newman/Haas Racing for another 10 years before retiring from open-wheel competition following the 1994 season, along the way enjoying his son Michael’s championship for Newman/Haas as a teammate in 1991. Newman/Haas Racing went on to win six more IndyCar championships through 2007, but perhaps none was so significant as the 1984 victory in only its second season, featuring a revolutionary design in the hands of one of racing’s most incomparable competitors. One of just five built, this T800 offers a sensational addition to any racing-focused collection. It is a thoroughbred from one of IndyCar’s best-known and most successful American stables, one that powered the great Andretti to the very definition of racing success and his final championship. This racecar will be offered without reserve at RM Sotheby’s The House That Newman/Haas Racing Built sale, taking place 29 October. View more and register to bid online at rmsothebys.com today. View Listing

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