Formula One – 2014 Market & Price Guide

After some 50 years of automobile racing, the Grand Prix Formula or Formula One was established by the FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile) in 1950 with its first race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. This was to be the first World Drivers Championship, in the world’s most technically advanced single-seater racing cars. In 1958, the World Constructors Championship was added. Now one would at last know who the best driver in the world was, as well as which manufacturers had constructed the best racing car. FISA was Formula One’s administrative body, which saw that everyone played by the ever-changing rules. In this guide I am going to cover the period 1966-1983 for cars built to a 500kg to 585kg weight minimum, and powered by 3.0-liter normally aspirated engines.

Formula One started from very humble beginnings. Teams were comprised of a group of talented people working out of small garages, trying to find the money to go racing. During this time frame the miracle of the racing sponsor was created, and teams grew in size. Great inventions were created, such as the 3.0-liter Cosworth DFV engine, the slick racing tire and aerodynamic aids ranging from simple wings to full ground effects. This was the beginning of the English racing car industry, with constructors who relied heavily on Cosworth engines and Hewland gearboxes, and the era that also embraced the racing comeback of Alfa Romeo. World Championship drivers included Andretti, Brabham, Fittipaldi, Hill, Hulme, Hunt, Jones, Lauda, Piquet, Rindt, Rosberg, Scheckter and Stewart.

Historic Formula One races are run in the USA and Europe by The Masters Series, which allows cars built from 1966-1983 to run with 3.0-liter normally aspirated, non-turbo engines and no sliding skirts.

Additionally, every other year the Monaco Historic Grand Prix is run for cars 1977 and older.

MakeModelLevel III Level IILevel I
Alfa Romeo179$250,000$275,000$325,000
ArrowsA1-A5$250,000$275,000$325,000
BrabhamBT19-20-24$500,000$600,000$700,000
BT26$325,000$375,000$425,000
BT33$500,000$550,000$650,000
BT42$275,000$350,000$400,000
BRMP160-P180$300,000$350,000$400,000
EagleT2G Weslake$3,000,000$3,500,000$4,000,000
EnsignN177-N180$225,000$250,000$275,000
Ferrari312 F1$1,000,000$1,200,000$1,400,000
312 B1-B2$1,500,000$1,600,000$1,800,000
312 B3$1,300,000$1,500,000$1,700,000
312 T-T2-T3$1,500,000$1,700,000$1,900,000
312 T4-T5$1,300,000$1,500,000$1,600,000
Hesketh308$275,000$300,000$350,000
HillGHI$250,000$275,000$300,000
Lotus49$1,600,000$1,700,000$1,900,000
72$1,000,000$1,100,000$1,250,000
76$350,000$375,000$425,000
77$375,000$400,000$450,000
78$600,000$650,000$700,000
79$700,000$750,000$850,000
80-81$300,000$350,000$400,000
87$325,000$375,000$425,000
March701-711$225,000$250,000$275,000
721$175,000$200,000$225,000
761$250,000$275,000$350,000
811-821$200,000$225,000$275,000
McLarenM19$425,000$500,000$550,000
M23$700,000$800,000$900,000
M26$600,000$700,000$800,000
M28-M30$300,000$350,000$375,000
PenskePC3-4$325,000$375,000$425,000
ShadowDN1-DN3$275,000$300,000$350,000
DN5$300,000$350,000$400,000
DN8-DN9$225,000$250,000$300,000
SurteesTS7-TS9$200,000$225,000$250,000
TS14-15-16$200,000$225,000$250,000
TS19$200,000$225,000$250,000
Tyrrell002-004$550,000$650,000$800,000
005-006$500,000$550,000$650,000
007$425,000$475,000$550,000
P34$700,000$750,000$850,000
008$275,000$300,000$325,000
009$225,000$250,000$300,000
010-11$225,000$250,000$300,000
WilliamsFW06$550,000$550,000$600,000
FW07$700,000$750,000$850,000
FW08$600,000$700,000$750,000
WolfWR1-4$425,000$500,000$550,000
WR5-6$275,000$300,000$350,000

 

1966 Eagle Mark 1 Weslake V12

All American Racers (AAR), was first started as a partnership between Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby, with sponsorship from Goodyear tires. AAR was to construct a racing car for the Indianapolis 500 and Formula One races that would use Goodyear tires capable of beating those cars using Firestone tires. AAR hired Len Terry, who had designed the Indy-winning Lotus 38, and Terry created the Eagle Mark 1 for F1 (and the Mark 2 for Indy), perhaps the most beautiful Formula One cars ever built. They featured exquisite craftsmanship and a nose like a beak, and were called Eagles after America’s national symbol. They were powered by the ex-BRM engineer Aubrey Woods’ 3.0-liter V12 design, which Gurney had Harry Weslake develop into a winning engine. The Eagle Mark 1 won the Race of Champions and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, making Gurney one of the rare drivers to win a Grand Prix driving a car of his own construction. Only four Formula One Eagles were ever built.

Photo: Pete Austin
Photo: Pete Austin

1974 Ferrari 312B3

The early 1970s brought success back to the Ferrari Formula One Team. This started with the design of the 312B, which evolved into the B2 and B3. The change from an upright V12 engine to the flat, “Boxer,” 12-cylinder engine yielded a lower center of gravity and better aerodynamics. The signing of designer Mauro Forghieri, drivers Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni, and team manager Luca di Montezemolo, completed the new Ferrari team. To be certain of success, Ferrari even dropped its sports car program at the end of the 1973 season to concentrate solely on F1. During the 1974 season, Niki Lauda with the 312B3 was the dominant and fastest driver, but reliability problems put him out of the running for the World Championship. Teammate Clay Regazzoni finished 2nd in the Drivers World Championship only losing out to Emerson Fittipaldi’s McLaren in the last race of the season. Ferrari was back on top. Good things were to follow with the Drivers and Constructors World Championship going to Ferrari in 1975.  This was a brilliant time for Ferrari, and those of us who were there recall the sights and sounds of a red Ferrari “Flat 12” winning races.


Criteria Used For Assessing Valuations for this Guide:

  • Degree of Originality
  • Overall Condition, Restoration
  • Technology, Design, Coachbuilder
  • Production Numbers/Rarity
  • Competition History
  • Ownership History, Documentation
  • Modern Event Eligibility

Regional Variances

The prices stated in this guide are based on U.S. values. The values of historic racing cars can vary as much as 25%-35% in other countries, depending on local market appeal, currency rates, import duties, and VAT. Most of the time, we are able to document known sales or closed escrows, as they say in real estate. When this is not possible, a logical estimate of the car’s value is given, based on its sales history and relationship to cars of its type.

The prices stated in this guide are based on U.S. values. The values of historic racing cars can vary as much as 25%-35% in other countries, depending on local market appeal, currency rates, import duties, and VAT.

LEVEL

VALUATION CATEGORIES

I

The best combination
of all criteria.

II

Satisfies mid-range
of criteria.

III

In need of restoration. Meets
only a few points of criteria