The ever-menacing 1990 Sauber Mercedes-Benz C11
MORE: 1970-1990, The evolution of Sauber sportscars
MORE: Celebrating 20 years of the Sauber Formula 1 team (gallery)
Photo of the Day: Sauber Mercedes is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Sparks fly as Ayrton Senna tests for the 1994 season at Silverstone.
MORE: Ayrton Senna tests the McLaren Lamborghini
MORE: Why Ayrton Senna was so fast (video)
MORE: Ayrton Senna’s first ever Formula 1 tests in 1983 (video)
Photo of the day: Senna Sparks is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Jay Leno and owner Bruce Goldsmith run us through this very special re-engineered masterpiece.
The original Shelby Daytona Coupe remains a 1960s icon, and has spanned countless replicas and tributes. This amazing machine however, is a little bit more than that. An original Pete Brock designed car, this body has since been transformed into what a modern Shelby Daytona Coupe might look and perform like, if one were built today.
Video: What might have been – modern Shelby Brock Daytona Coupe is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
This gorgeous 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Spider, one of just eighteen built, has close to five decades of successful racing heritage under its belt, including a hugely-successful period career, and is heading to public sale for the first time in its history at RM Auctions’ Monaco Sale.
Image: Courtesy of RM Auctions
Debuting at the 1966 Paris Auto Show, and bearing the name of Enzo Ferrari’s son Dino, who had originally suggested a V6 platform for racing and sadly passed away ten years prior, Ferrari’s 206 S Dino Spider was designed for privateers to go into battle with Group 4 Porsches.
It features a two-litre V6 which revs to 9,000 RPM and can put out 285bhp. Shifting duties are handled by a five-speed manual gearbox borrowed from the Ferrari 312 Formula 1, and suspension is provided by unequal length wishbones and coil springs over telescopic shocks up front, and independent rear suspension with coils over telescopic shocks at the rear.
It’s a true Ferrari beauty, with stunning lines that echo its bigger brother, one of our favourite Ferraris of all time – the 330P.
The full package; looks and speed, Dino 206 S Spiders took the fight to Porsche with panache, taking second in the Targa Florio, second and third at the Nürburgring and sixth at Spa in 1966.
Labour problems building the cars meant that only 18 were produced, instead of the planned 50, and those 18 were raced hard, many ending their racing careers in accidents. These factors are part of what make this car so rare and significant.
Chassis 028 was purchased new from the Ferrari factory in 1966 by Ferrari racing fanatic, and close friend of Enzo Ferrari, Eduardo Lualdi Gabardi. He entered the car in hill climbs across Italy, and dominated the circuit in the second half of ’66.
And in ’67 and ’68, he kept on winning. Records from Ferrari historian Marcel Massini show that of at least 35 Italian hill climbs entered, he claimed first or second in his class in 22, and his worst finish was 6th. Gabardi entered only one race in the Dino in ’69, winning the Ascoli Piceno-Colle San Marco Hill Climb before selling his car back to the factory.
By ’72 the car had been updated with a 246 Tasman engine and the gearbox and suspension from a Ferrari 312 Formula 1, which gave it a 500cc increase in displacement and four new valves per cylinder, helping it to put out 65 more horses. It also received love on the bodywork front, with a new aerodynamic body designed by Francesco Guglielminetti.
It was then offered for sale by the factory, but it was nearly four years before Alberto Pedretti purchased it and took it to the United States. He sold it soon after to Bill Gelles who raced it in historic motorsport very briefly before selling it to its current owner in late 1977.
It then entered a new golden age, with its current owner showing and racing it continually around the United States. It has won Gold and Platinum awards in the FCA National Concours and additional Platinum awards in the Cavallino Classic and FCA Annual Meet in Indianapolis, where it won the Phil Hill Award for the Most Outstanding Competition Car as well.
Concours was not all it got up to, however, and its adventures on the race track continued in Ferrari Club of America Events and in the Ferrari Historic Challenge.
It has been restored twice thanks to its present owner – once from 1984 to 1994, and again with a mechanical rebuild in 2001. Its current bodywork is an identical reproduction body constructed for racing use in order to preserve its Guglielminetti body, which is included in its sale along with a spare part collection.
Restored and featuring a set of original and spare parts, and with a successful motorsport history to match every decade of its life, this Ferrari Dino 206 S Spider, chassis 028, is significant, fast and gorgeous.
It will be offered for sale at RM Auctions’ Monaco Sale on the 10th of May, 2014, where it is expected to fetch in the realm of €1,500,000 – €2,000,000. Head to RM Auctions’ website here for the full story and details.
Sign up for the RM Auctions email newsletter
Images: Tom Wood courtesy of RM Auctions
RM Auctions Monaco Highlight: 1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Spider is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Captured on film – the last time a Formula 1 World Championship event was ever held on Swiss soil.
To this day motorsport is essentially banned in Switzerland, however that wasn’t always the case. In 1954 an official Formula 1 World Championship event was held at Circuit Bremgarten, as it had been in 1953, 1952, 1951 and 1950. Even prior to the establishment of Formula 1 as we know it, there were Swiss GPs in the 1940s and 1930s.
Sadly, the Le Mans disaster of 1955 put an end to that, with Switzerland imposing a ban on motorsports that remains largely in place. There have been a pair of GPs held on French soil under the Swiss name (1975 and 1982), however never again has Formula 1 returned to Switzerland. This special piece of footage captures the very last time.
Video: Before the Ban – The last ever Swiss Grand Prix (1954) is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
The most recent Ferrari Race Day at Eastern Creek went well for most. The driver of this car wasn’t one of them.
Jayson Fong of Form & Function was there to capture the moment during which this stunning Ferrari 458 was reduced to scrap. A tough day at the track indeed!
We’re unsure of the team’s chances of bringing it back from the dead. Full coverage of the otherwise glorious Ferrari Race Day to follow.
The full gallery from Form & Function here:
Gallery: Disaster Strikes – Ferrari 458 crash is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Jo Siffert looking on from the team truck as mechanics work on his Ford Cosworth powered, STP/ March Engineering 701 at the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort.
MORE: Gallery – The best of Jo Siffert
Siffert would later be forced to retire from the race with engine troubles, whilst Jochen Rindt would take the win. The race is best remembered for the tragic accident in which Piers Courage was killed.
Photo of the day: Team work in 1970 is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
This immaculate 1984 GTD 40 is based on the 1968 and 1969 Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 Mk.1, which in its time was one of just two cars to win the race twice in a row, and participated in one of its great finishes as Jacky Ickx and Hans Herrmann dueled for the lead in the final laps of ’69 , finishing just seconds apart after 24 hours.
This tribute car is an affordable piece of the legend, and is up for sale at the Classic Throttle Shop.
Image: Classic Throttle Shop
It was built in 1984 by GT Developments in Poole, UK, finished to the highest of standards and swathed in the iconic Gulf livery. And for a little fun, it’s offered with complete New South Wales registration, so you’ll be able to cruise the streets in one of the most stunning race cars of all time, with that mighty 4.7-litre V8 burbling behind you and under your full command.
For more information call 02 9922 2036, email sales@classicthrottleshop.com or head to the official Classic Throttle Shop website here.
Via the Classic Throttle Shop
Images thanks to the Classic Throttle Shop
A Legendary Tribute: 1984 GTD40 For Sale is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
All the action from the unforgettable Ferrari Racing Day held in Sydney this month.
April was a pretty special month for Ferrari fans living in Sydney. For the first time ever, Ferrari Racing Days arrived in town for the purpose of a three-day show, which would include racing, demonstrations, car shows, new model debuts and more. It was held last weekend April 11-13, and our guy Jayson Fong from Form & Function was there to capture the magic as it unfolded.
Take a look at a few of our favorites, followed by the complete gallery:
For many, the highlight of the event would be a demonstration of Ferrari Formula 1 cars on track.
The 458 Challenge raced on Australian soil for the first time ever. As you can see – the drivers are not shy about putting their machines in tight places!
A family event, the weekend attracted a huge variety of people. For many, this would be their first time to witness some of the great Formula 1 machines in the flesh.
Of course, when drivers are pushing vehicles to the absolute limits – things do sometimes go wrong. We featured a full sequence gallery of the accident involving this unfortunate Ferrari 458 earlier in the week.
No prizes for guessing which direction Motorsport Retro fans would have been looking in. Classic F1 wins every time.
Feel the anticipation…
Ferrari’s XX programs involve some serious pieces of technological wonder. This weekend present Australian fans with a first-ever opportunity to watch them race in person.
Take a look at the full gallery from Form & Function here:
Gallery: The Spectacular Ferrari Racing Day (Sydney) is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Keke Rosberg shows off a little bit of what he’s packing in 1986. The car was of course, the McLaren MP4/2C
MORE: Watch Keke Rosberg’s infamous yet spectacular ‘magic spin’ in 1983 (video)
Photo of the Day: Rosberg Exposed! is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
It seems not all differences of opinion can be settled on the track.
At the 2011 Rockingham round of the British Touring Car Championship, Matt Neal and Jason Plato had a bit of a disagreement. On-track matters translated into a pit-lane dispute immediately following the race, with plenty of insults being thrown around – alongside words like ‘assault’. While it’s not something we encourage, this does make for a very entertaining piece of footage – especially given that the clip sees each side of the story told in their own respective ways. Enjoy.
Video: BTCC Agro – “I’m gonna rip your f*** face off!” is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Drink in the spectacular sights of this amazing European adventure.
Tour Auto Optic 2000 is a massive European classic car rally, now running in its 23rd year. The event sees around 200 classic automobiles gather in France to race across closed roads and race circuits throughout the course of six days.
It’s being going on like this since 1992, however each year a new selection of roads are carefully chosen.
In 2014, four race circuits and nine different roads made up the event, bringing with them a massive variety of scenery.
For us, it’s hard to imagine a classic motor racing event that we’d like to be a part of more.
You can almost feel the sense of freedom and adventure as you flick through the photos.
Check out Peter Auto for information on the Tour Auto Optic 2000, and similar events.
Take a look at our selection of our favorite photographs taken from the event in this gallery:
Everywhere you’d rather be – The best of Tour Auto is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
This stunning ‘one-off’ race car was built to add to just four Matra MS630s built, using original drawings from Matra designers with authorisation from Matra itself, and is now the only Matra MS630 in existence with the Ford GT40 4.7-litre V8.
Gorgeous and important, it’s up for sale at Art & Revs.
Images: Art & Revs
Matra’s MS630 was designed for a V12 engine, but received a Ford GT40 4.7-litre V8 motor in late ’67 when delays in engine development left it sans-V12. The resulting car was very quick, and came close to winning the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans after a herculean effort from Henri Pescarolo moved the car up into second before a pit fire forced it out of the race.
Only four cars were built in period. One was destroyed, one belongs to Matra and two are privately owned and not raced or shown.
This car, chassis 05, became the fifth in 2007 when, with authorisation from Matra, it was built based on original drawings by Matra desgners and received a Matra chassis number and chassis plate. It is the only car now featuring the Ford GT40 4.7-litre motor that gave the MS630 its start, completing the lineage between the 620 and the 650 which would come after it.
At a featherweight 820kg and with that stonking GT40 powerplant it’s mighty quick. And with FIA HTP papers, it’s ready to take advantage of its pace in historic racing, having already been entered into the Master Series at Barcelone and Dijon.
Unique, quick, rare and authentic (and did we mention gorgeous?), this Matra MS620 is available for sale at Art & Revs, and you can hit this link for the full details.
Via Art & Revs
Images via Art & Revs
A Matra Made in Heaven: MS630 For Sale is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Magic happens when pro rally driver Kris Meeke goes flat out through the forest in an MKII Ford Escort.
Watch and listen as co-driver Gerry McVeigh holds on tight and rapid-fires pace notes whilst Meeke pushes this little old Escort to the absolute limits as part of the 2008 Colin McRae Forest Stages. The event was organized in tribute to WRC champion McRae, and featured five classic Scottish forest rally stages. The event organizers brought in veteran rally icons from all over the world, each entering the rally to honour Colin McRae.
MORE: (Video) This is how an MKII Escort SHOULD be treated!
Drivers included Ari Vatanen, Hannu Mikkola, Bjorn Waldegard, Russell Brookes and Malcom Wilson. Each legend competed in two-wheel drive rally machines such as the MKII Escort seen in this thrilling video. The Porsche 911, Opel Ascona 400, MKI Escort and Talbot Sunbeam Lotus also populated the grid – making for some seriously sideways action.
MORE: (Video) WRC Ace + Ford Escort MKII RS1800 = Complete madness
Kris Meeke currently drives in WRC for the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT, and achieved his first WRC podium finish earlier in the year at the Monte Carlo Rally.
If you enjoyed that, you’ll love this full length piece from the same event:
Video: WRC driver and MKII Escort tackle Colin McRae Forest stage! is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
The works of one incredibly talented digital artist take the magic of the 917k into the future.
We stumbled on this little masterpiece over at Creative Crash, which showcases the glory of the Porsche 917K in traditional Le Mans spec, albeit in a completely different light to which we are traditionally accustomed! That light of course is digital rendering, built from what looks to have been a raw 3D model which was then painstakingly skinned in the famous GULF colors.
MORE: Looking back at a legend – Porsche 917
Full Gallery here:
Gallery: 3D Porsche 917k Le Mans is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
The most famous piece of rally footage ever shot has been remastered, and it’s beautiful.
The unforgettable short film Climb Dance, just got a whole lot clearer. Originally directed by Jean Louis Mourey back in the late 1980s, the world famous clip featured Ari Vatanen and Robby Unser piloting the iconic Peugeot 405 T16 GSR at record speeds at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
MORE: The nine greatest Peugeot race and rally cars of all time!
The resulting video was nothing short of a masterpiece. Now emastered in high-definition, Climb Dance has been given a whole new lease on life. Here’s to hoping the video continues to inspire viewers for many generations to come!
MORE: The amazing tale of Ari Vatanen’s closest near-death experience
Video: ‘Climb-dance’ in High Definition is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
Nelson Piquet throwing down some sparks whilst passing the pits at the 1987 Austrian Grand Prix. Nelson would finish the race in second place behind Nigel Mansell, however would take the overall World Championship for 1987.
Photo of the Day: Nelson Piquet, Austria 1987 is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
24 minutes with one of the greatest drivers to ever live.
This feature-length video features a broad range of terrific footage. Our favorite is no doubt the onboard stuff, which by the looks of things may have actually been shot some years after Fangio left Formula 1. This clip presents a terrific opportunity to spend some time taking in the memory of one of the great racing talents. Even if you’ve only a few minutes to spare – we urge you to take a look!
Video: Juan Manuel Fangio – Five-time world champ is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
October the 18th at Brands Hatch in 1967, and the #100 Cobra completely mounts the #139 Ginetta.
The story goes that the Cobra struck the Ginetta from the rear, mounting it for a not inconsiderable distance before unceremoniously sliding back off. We believe the roof of the Ginetta can be seen to the left of the shot.
Photo by Trevor Legate
Photo of the Day: A Close Shave (1967) is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
A touching story of two men working on some of the most amazing machines to ever see the track.
It’s no secret that we really, really like BRM here at Motorsport Retro. We’d go as far as rating the timeless sound of the V16 roar as one of the greatest sounding scores ever written by a team of engineers. It seems that XCARFilms feel the same, they’ve take the time to sit down with the father and son team behind “Hall and Hall”, a pair absolutely dedicated to keeping British Racing Motors alive. This is a great video, and we hope you all enjoy it as much as we did.
MORE: Five of the best sounding Formula 1 engines ever
Video: Keeping BRM alive is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.
