Buy Your Own Formula 1 Car From Nigel Mansell

Ever dreamt of owning your own piece of Formula 1 history? RM Sotheby’s are offering the once in a lifetime opportunity to buy two of the most iconic cars from one of the sport’s legendary drivers - Nigel Mansell.

The two vehicles in question are the 1989 Ferrari 640, in which Mansell won both the Brazilian and Hungarian Grands Prix that year, as well as the 1991 Williams FW14 chassis number 5, famously known as the British Grand Prix winning ‘Senna Taxi’ which led Mansell to five Grand Prix victories.

Both cars have been kept in immaculate condition by Mansell himself, who has been the sole owner and keeper of the two cars since their racing days.

The Ferrari 640 is of notable interest to motorsport collectors as a result of the enormous Italian-made, naturally-aspirated 3.5-litre V12, as well as the car’s heritage as the first Ferrari F1 car to be equipped with a semi-automatic gearbox. The Ferrari was also the first ever Ferrari F1 car to be revealed to the press without Enzo Ferrari, who sadly passed away in April 1988.

The car suffered reliability issues throughout the 1989 season, though a few mechanical hiccups would surely be part of the charm of owning a real Ferrari Formula 1 car. With the estimated auction price for the Ferrari 640 set at a staggering €2,500,000 - €5,000,000 (approximately £2,085,000 - £4,170,000, or $2,750,000 - $5,500,000), RM Sotheby’s seem confident buyers won’t be put off.

The 1991 Williams FW14-5 ‘Senna Taxi’ is so-called after Mansell famously stopped to pick Ayrton Senna up on his victory lap after Senna’s car ran out of fuel during the 1991 British Grand Prix. This moment cemented Chassis FW14-5’s place in motorsport folklore.

See also: Here Are The Differences Between F1 And IndyCar

The car ultimately claimed victory on five occasions during the 1991 season alongside two second-place finishes. Williams Chassis FW14-5 proved to be extremely competitive, and was a potential threat to McLaren’s F1 dominance. The Williams team gifted the iconic car to Mansell in recognition of his great performance in the 1991 season and he kept it for over 30 years.

Chassis FW14-5 is estimated to sell for a cool €1,500,000 – €3,000,000 (approximately £1,250,000 - £2,500,000 or $1,650,000 - $3,300,000), but if you are the ultimate Formula 1 fan and money is no object, that might be a bargain.