Blenheim, Ontario, CANADA — RM Sotheby’s concluded its online sale of Formula One memorabilia last week with total sales of $728,454.
$102k for a helmet? It was Senna’s. Photo: RM Sotheby’s
Featuring 103 lots of collectibles — offered entirely without reserve — the sale included items ranging from large-scale handmade models to racing helmets and suits, with an emphasis on the late 1980s, early 1990s and 2000s.
Leading the sale was a McLaren Honda Signed Helmet (1988), believed to have been worn in the first championship year of three-time FIA Formula One Drivers’ World Champion Ayrton Senna. The helmet doubled its pre-sale estimate of $50,000 to achieve $102,000.
Also exceeding expectations was an 800+ hp, 3.0-liter, naturally aspirated Ferrari Tipo 051/B/C V-10 engine designed by Paolo Martinelli. Built to power one of the most successful Formula 1 cars of all time, the F2002, the engine brought $93,600 against a pre-sale estimate of $50,000-$70,000.
Rounding out the top three was the Ayrton Senna McLaren Honda Racing Suit, also believed to have been worn during the 1988 season, which reached $36,000. It’s pre-sale estimate was $10,000-$20,000.
