Bonhams|Cars will present the most high-profile auction of racing and sports cars at the landmark season-closing Formula® 1 Abu Dhabi race on November 25
In an exclusive partnership with the Formula 1 Paddock Club™, Bonhams|Cars is set to unveil On the Grid: The Abu Dhabi Auction, which will take place against the backdrop of the FORMULA 1® ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2023 in the evening before the 2023 season closing race.
Featuring more than 30 collector cars, including F1® racecars and state-of-the-art supercars, the sale is expected to reach over US$20 million on Saturday November 25.
Offering an unparalleled experience, the auction will be held at the iconic Yas Marina Circuit directly on the starting grid where F1® drivers and their formidable cars will line up the next day. Commencing at 8:30PM local time, the live audience will make their way to the grid, while a massive global audience can stream the auction on Bonhamscars.com.
“This extraordinary partnership marks a historic milestone, as it brings together the most coveted automobiles at one of the most significant sporting events on the calendar,” commented Maarten ten Holder, Managing Director of Bonhams|Cars. “We’re both in a business that is driven by passion and competition. We anticipate that our inaugural Abu Dhabi auction will match the energy and spectacle that is consistently delivered from F1.”
Beginning Thursday November 23, Bonhams|Cars will preview its impressive lineup in various areas within the massive 400-acre Yas Marina Circuit. Bonhams|Cars has partnered with The Stables, Abu Dhabi to handle shipping, storage, and detailing, in addition to hosting 26 of the cars on offer in a custom built, state-of-the-art gallery, just 100 metres from the track. The remaining offerings will be presented in fan zones and within the Paddock for the three days of preview before the auction.
Headlining the exclusive auction are F1® cars that have not only competed, but also triumphed in Grands Prix and are therefore etched in the memories of countless global fans who have avidly followed the sport.
Remembered by many is Mario Andretti’s 1978 John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79. The American racing superstar claimed his Formula 1® World Drivers’ Championship title with this “Black Beauty” and the upcoming sale offers the only opportunity to own a F1® car from an American World Champion. It is offered in the sale for an estimate of US$6.5 – 9.5 million.
Another exciting opportunity to acquire a F1® racecar is with Kimi Räikkönen’s McLaren MP4/21, offered at an estimate of US$2.5 – 3.5 million. Räikkönen achieved two podium finishes with the McLaren, however in Monaco the engine overheated and Räikkönen is famously remembered for heading back to his yacht instead of the team’s paddock.
From double Formula 1® World Champion Driver, Fernando Alonso, Bonhams|Cars will offer his 2022 custom-specification McLaren Elva. It is a car of tremendous power to match a driver of equal calibre, who holds the record for the most FIA Formula One World Championship™ race starts over his 18-year career. Just this season, Alonso has had eight podium finishes (up to the Brazil GP).
The car is a limited-production model inspired by McLaren’s legendary heritage. In 1964, Bruce McLaren, the Le Mans 24-Hours and double-CanAm Championship-winning driver/engineer, partnered with Elva Cars to meet the clamouring demand for customer-market sports-racing cars after launching his team.
With 800-plus horsepower reaching speeds of 200mph, the 2022 hypercar is a celebration of that partnership, steeped in racing history with provenance from one of today’s best F1® drivers. The 2022 McLaren Elva will be offered at an estimate of US$2.5 – 3 million.
Bonhams|Cars has curated a collection of top-tier supercars and sports cars, engineered for exhilarating speeds and power on the open road. This includes a uniquely specified Porsche 911 RSR. 2023 marks the 75th Anniversary of Porsche, a marque who for decades have shared the core values of innovation, design, functionality and performance to produce some of the world’s finest competition and sports cars.
This particular example is a culmination of all four of these factory principles. Out of the 51 cars made for competition, just two examples were manufactured as ‘Strassenversion’ (street versions), under the Porsche special wishes bespoke automotive tailoring programme.
This delivery ‘mileage’ 1993 Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera RSR ‘Strassenversion’ Coupé is the first of these two cars. It still presents in its original factory protective wax and has just 10km displaying on its odometer. It is also matching numbers and outstandingly original.
This time capsule example represents the pinnacle of Porsche boundary stretching designs from the late 80’s and early 1990’s. This RSR is for the cognoscenti of the marque and estimated at US$2 – 2.5 million.
Other highly desirable lots include a 2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 Super Veloce (estimate: US$430,000 – 600,000), which represents the last of the 60-year dynasty of Lamborghini’s wonderful V12s, as well as a 2022 Ford GT ‘Carbon Edition’ (estimate: US$900,000 – 1,200,000), offered with only 30 kilometres from new and finished in Frozen White with matching interior.
Beyond the remarkable offerings, considerable excitement is expected to resonate with the diverse array of lots on offer – including many with low-mileage and nearly a third of the offerings without reserve.
Of the 15 lots without reserve, there is a 2015 Lagonda Taraf Sports Saloon (estimate: US$350,000 – 450,000), a 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition Coupé (estimate: US$350,000 – 450,000), and 1988 Italdesign Aztec Barchetta (estimate: US$180,000 – 220,000).
The inaugural Formula 1 Paddock Club™ and Bonhams|Cars auction will take place at FORMULA 1® ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2023 on Saturday November 25. Preview opens on Thursday November 23 to F1® Grand Prix ticket holders, with select cars available to view by private appointment beginning on November 7 at The Stables.
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Text and images courtesy of Bonhams Cars