FOUR IMPECCABLE RACE CARS LINE UP AT ICONIC AUCTIONEERS SALE AT THE NEC CLASSIC MOTOR SHOW ON NOVEMBER 9TH

There are a number of full-blooded race cars for sale with Iconic Auctioneers in their November 9th sale at the NEC in Birmingham – an opportunity to shop for a car to campaign immediately. The company has a reputation for selling race cars at Race Retro and Silverstone Festival and are delighted to bring a handful to this NEC sale.

So what does a race car cost? Estimates by Wind Tunnel across all 60 plus race types, from Formula V to F1 vary from £20,000 to around £1m for 99% of the cars and then there is a jump to £12m for an F1 car according to figures from Red Bull. So its not cheap and not for the faint of heart. With this background it is fascinating to take a look at the Iconic Auctioneers offering in this sale.

Tim Harvey’s 1990 Ford Sierra RS500 (above) leads the four cars in the race category in this sale. One of the most iconic Touring Cars from the 'Group A' period of the BTCC and probably one of the most original examples. Iconic Auctioneers are delighted to offer this significant piece of British Motorsport history from the 1989 and 1990 BTCC Seasons.

Built by the renowned Andy Rouse Engineering team for the 1989 season, this was a front-running car during the 1989 BTCC season, achieving two wins and third overall in 'Class A'. At the end of the year, the car was shipped to Macau to take part in the annual end of season event and running the Watsons Water livery, this very car won the Macau event with Tim at the wheel.

After it’s success in Macau, the same car was used by Tim for the 1990 season, this time with the updated Labatt’s livery, achieving third in Class again and fourth overall in the Championship. The car has remained in this original livery as it ended 1990, making it probably one of the most original BTCC 'Group A' examples.

After the 1990 season, the car remained in private hands before being shipped out to Australia 2008, where it did only one race in Touring Car Masters. In 2011, it was bought by renowned UK racer, Paul Smith and shipped back to these shores. Paul race-prepared the car for big events like the Silverstone Classic and Gold Cup at Oulton Park and shared the drive with its original driver, Tim Harvey.

During Paul’s ownership, a new engine was fitted with modern engine management system (original ARE stamped head and original ECU included) and the renowned ex-Mountune engineer, Dave Hill, has looked after the engine.

More recently, the enthusiast owner has invested in the car to keep it in ready to go mechanical condition. Indeed, last year the car ran at Brands Hatch at the Touring Car event and was driven round the track in a demonstration run by Tim Harvey. This year, Jonny Smith featured the car on his YouTube Channel, The Late Brake Show, when Tiff Needell drove the car around Mallory Park, a video we highly recommend watching (www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqC366iJu8Q).

The car is seen to be totally original, with all original paint and graphics, original seat, exactly how Tim finished racing the car in 1990. More details about the full spec can be found on the website here - https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1989-ford-rs500-rec14197-1-nec-1124

Recently completed and fresh to market after a seven-year labour of love by its Lancia aficionado owner. The legendary Lancia Stratos HF is the ultimate rally icon of the 'Group 4' era and changed the face of International Rallying as the first purpose-built rally car in an age of modified production cars. Rather than build the 1,000 units needed to qualify for 'Group 3' and only afterwards apply the allowable 'Group 4' modifications, Lancia committed to building the 500 examples required for 'Group 4' homologation as a thinly disguised rally car for the road.

Designed by Marcello Gandini, the Stratos HF ('HF' for High Fidelity) was developed as a collaboration between Lancia and Bertone and was introduced in November 1971 at the Turin Motor Show. It was based around a central steel monocoque with steel front frame legs and box-section rear subframe, carrying lightweight glass fibre doors and hinged ‘clamshells’ at the front and rear. The car was powered by a mid-mounted transverse 2.4-litre Ferrari Dino V6 that Enzo Ferrari only reluctantly agreed to supply, fearing the new car would overshadow his own Dino 246.

The Stratos HF made its competition debut in November 1972 on the Tour de Corse running as a prototype and saw its first successes the following year, with wins on the Tour de France and the Firestone Rally, and a second place at the Targa Florio. With its diminutive size, extraordinary agility and powerful V6, the Stratos quickly established itself as a dominant force in rallying, winning the WRC three years in a row (1974–1976) and firmly established itself as a legend by continuing to win in private hands as late as 1981.

Bringing #AR0001951 back to life has been a metamorphosis and we feel that it would be wonderful to see the car on a European rally stage or on the showground or anywhere really, enjoying the admiration always generated when people get a close look at one of these seldom seen WRC-winning rally cars from 50 years ago.

This well presented 1957 Jaguar MkI racer, previously campaigned at Goodwood and was built and driven successfully by the late Les Ely, a very experienced classic car racer, closely associated with the Jaguar fraternity as a driver and engineer.

It's an original UK-supplied, right-hand drive car, finished in the wonderful colour combination of Maroon with a red leather interior, it really looks the part. The car is beautifully built and prepared and is all but track-ready with the 3.4-litre XK engine producing a proven 273bhp and the interior being modified in true race car fashion with the addition of bucket seats, roll cage, fire extinguisher, safety equipment and various weight-saving measures.

While officially never called MkI, this 1950s Jaguar model spearheaded the iconic British company into the ever-growing small luxury car market at the time. In production between 1955 – 1959, these sporting saloons were officially entitled the 'Jaguar 2.4 Litre' and '3.4-Litre', not Jaguar’s finest model naming, however this didn’t stop the later affectionately named MkI, from becoming a piece of influential engineering that helped shape the company’s future.

This 1970 TVR Tuscan LWB V8 has had a six year, £100,000-plus restoration involving the best names in TVR racing and is arguably the best Tuscan in the world.

The TVR Tuscan was known for its raw, visceral driving experience, with no driver aids like power steering or traction control. The light body, powerful engine and rear-wheel drive made the car extremely agile but also quite challenging to handle, with minimalistic interiors and almost no focus on luxury or safety. The interiors were functional, with basic controls and gauges, the emphasis was entirely on performance.

UPY 777J is coming to auction from a TVR fanatic, having owned 27 of them over the years! The car is a well-known car within the TVR and Hillclimb circles having competed very successfully for decades, with lots of class wins and hill records to its name. It came out of the factory as a V6 but was changed to the Ford V8 early on in its life.

Its six years of restoration involved doing everything imaginable to the car to make it perfect, including; a brand new body, a new period Ford 289 4.7-litre V8 was sourced, built in the US and shipped over costing c.£20,000. Internally the engine has forged diamond pistons, Eagle conrods, performance cams and an Edlebrock carb. The gearbox is a 5-speed from a TVR Tuscan Challenge car and the differential has been fully overhauled with new internals. Period FIA brakes, discs front and rear are fitted as are the correct Koni adjustable shocks originally from Mike Whittaker’s BFR 400B, costing £1,200 each and there’s six of them. All required parts were from Nigel Reuben Racing and car was built by Duncan Reuben (TVR Classics). An FIA foam fire extinguisher and all the other mandatory safety equipment has been fitted.

There are around 1,000 photos documenting the restoration, detailing everything. The specification is phenomenal, with the very best TVR names on it. From a racing perspective, it’s never had FIA papers but, in terms of eligibility, it can do CSCC Swinging Sixties, HSCC Historic Roadsports, 1970s Road Sports and a plethora of others and achieving FIA papers shouldn’t be difficult if a higher tier of motorsport is the aim.

These four race cars are amongst the 170 motor cars and 170 motorcycles at the Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show on the 9th & 10th November. Further information about these vehicles and the others in the auction can be found at www.iconicauctioneers.com. In-person viewing is available at the NEC on Friday 8th, 10am to 6pm and on Saturday 9th from 9am until the auction commences at 10am. Bidding is available in person in the Saleroom, but for those unable to attend the event the auction is live streamed on the Iconic Auctioneers website for online bidding. Telephone and commission bidding is also available. For more information please contact +44(0) 1926 691 141 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information please contact:
Rob Hubbard
Managing Director
+ 44 (0) 7775 511 825
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