In blockbuster news, the world’s leading car auction house RM Sotheby have announced that at their Monaco auction on May 14th, an original collection of Nigel Mansell cars will be on offer! The collection which have come from Mansell himself, contain two of the most famous Formula 1 cars to ever be offered at auction.
The two key vehicles in the collection are the 1989 Ferrari 640, in which the British driver won two races that year, plus the incredible 1991 Williams FW14, chassis number five, in which Mansell won five Grand Prix’s and is famously the car that has become known as the British GP winning ‘Senna Taxi’.
It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to bid on an original F1 car which has come directly from not only the owner but also the driver of said car. Both cars have been kept in mint condition by Mansell, to the point where they look brand-new! Of course the Ferrari 640 will attract significant attention from the ultimate motorsport collectors, due to the immense V12 engine in the back of the 640. Incredibly the 640 was also the first-ever Ferrari F1 car to feature a semi-automatic gearbox and also to be launched to the press without Enzo Ferrari significantly, Ferrari died in April 1988.
The 1989 season had actually begun poorly for Mansell, who was at the time in his first season with Ferrari. Mansell and the team suffered a difficult pre-season and were less than optimistic ahead of the opening race of the season in Brazil. Mansell qualified in sixth for the race, three places below team-mate at the time Gerhard Berger. The race however was a completely different story, the World Champion driver made his way through the field, overtaking the likes of the great Ayrton Senna, on his way to a debut win for Ferrari.
Unfortunately the car’s reliability was poor as the season progressed, Mansell would still go on to win another race in Hungary however, where he qualified in 12th position but overtook the entire grid to win at the Hungaroring, recording the fastest lap and pulling a famous overtake on Senna on his way to the front of the field.