Gooding & Company Revs Up Pebble Beach Auctions with Exceptional Line-Up of Competition Cars
The auction house is presenting the first 1966 Ford GT40 Alan Mann Lightweight, Bobby Rahal’s Indianapolis 500-winning 1986 March 86C, Jackie Stewart’s Fuji 200-winning 1966 Lola T-90, a Team Penske 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Trans Am, and two iconic turbocharged Porsches.
As the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, Gooding & Company is proud to present a selection of distinguished, historic competition cars for its 17th annual Pebble Beach Auctions. On August 13 and 14, 2021, the company will offer the rare opportunity to bid on these highly decorated racing cars, along with a host of many stellar selections at the two-day sale.
“We’re thrilled to present this amazing selection of historic competition cars. This group represents the best of the best across the spectrum of postwar motor racing: Indy, Trans Am, and endurance racing,” says Gooding & Company Senior Specialist David Brynan. “Not only are all these cars impeccably presented, they feature some of the most famous liveries in Motorsport, and have important connections to some of the top venues, teams, and drivers of the era, including Mark Donohue, Jackie Stewart, Peter Gregg, Bobby Rahal, Danny Ongais, and Sir John Whitmore.”
1966 Ford GT40 Alan Mann Lightweight (Estimate: $7,000,000 – $9,000,000)
The development of the GT40 ushered in a new era of racing and automotive production for the Ford Motor Company, revolutionizing the landscape of domestic competition cars with its innovative presence and performance. In 1963, Ford Motor Company began developing a purpose-built endurance racing car with the ambition of beating Ferrari at the most famous race in the world – the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With the creation of the GT40, Ford established a new subsidiary led by Le Mans winning team manager, John Wyer. The first GT40s produced by the new team, not yet fully developed into the historic racing icons they are now revered to be, were unveiled in 1964 and campaigned in a variety of international events. To help develop the cars further, Ford contracted three successful private teams and tasked them with perfecting the GT40: Shelby American, Holman-Moody, and Alan Mann Racing.
Alan Mann Racing, based in Byfleet, Surrey, had found great success in touring car racing with the development of the Ford Cortina, and in 1964, was contracted as a Ford factory team. They attracted a roster of star drivers, and their cars were immediately recognizable for their red and gold liveries. In late 1965, Ford Motor Company specifically tasked Alan Mann Racing with developing an even more competitive version of the GT40. Having extensively tested an early Mk I GT40, Alan Mann knew how to reduce weight and make various adjustments to the chassis and suspension in order to achieve optimal improvements. Consequently, Alan Mann Racing commissioned Abbey Panels to produce five special GT40 tubs to a new, updated design. They also fabricated lightweight aluminum bodywork for them, reducing considerable weight from the standard fiberglass bodies.
The car offered here, AM GT-1, is the first of just two aluminum-bodied GT40s ever built, as the remaining three tubs ordered by Alan Mann were incorporated into the Mk II program. An exceptionally rare machine, AM GT-1 was completed in early 1966, finished in the iconic Alan Mann Racing livery, and equipped with a highly tuned 289 V-8 engine, five-speed ZF transaxle, Halibrand knock-off wheels, and featuring more than 100 updates over the standard Mk I competition car. AM GT-1 showed immediate promise in its racing debut at the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring, where it was driven by Sir John Whitmore and Frank Gardner and qualified in 7th position, running well before it was forced to retire with clutch problems. It next appeared at the Le Mans Test in April 1966, where it was the fourth fastest car behind Ford’s experimental J-Car, a Mk II GT40, and sister car AM GT-2. Ultimately, Ford decided to retire the small-block powered Alan Mann Lightweights and only entered its seven-litre Mk IIs at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. Thus, AM GT-1 was sold to Holman-Moody and then passed through the hands of several private owners.
The current consignor acquired AM GT-1 in 1982 after it had been damaged in a road accident, and set about to restore the car to its original splendor. The restoration project was entrusted to famed GT40 expert Bob Ash of Georgia, who restored the car to exacting standards over a period of nearly 15 years. Today, the car appears just as it did at the 1966 Le Mans Test, wearing its classic Alan Mann Racing colors and race number “16.” Its exceptional restoration, completed in 2019, has since been awarded with a Second in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, a near perfect score at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, and a special Le Mans award in a competition judged by the Shelby American Automobile Club.
This is undoubtedly one of the most unique and historically significant GT40s to come to public auction in years. AM GT-1 has never before been offered for public sale and is being offered after nearly 40 years in the hands of one passionate owner.
1980 Porsche 935 K3 (Estimate: $2,500,000 – $3,000,000)
Introduced in 1976 as the Group 5 racing version of the turbocharged 930, the Porsche 935 went on to become one of the most successful models in the history of sports car racing. Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, the 935 utterly dominated endurance racing, winning the FIA World Championship for Makes each year from 1976 to 1979 and capturing outright wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. While Porsche campaigned their own special works team cars, private customers could purchase production 935s from the factory, or turn to other teams like Kremer Racing from Germany, who developed their very own exotic variants of 935.
The car presented here is a 1980 935 K3, the most successful of the Kremer-developed 935 models, which features technically advanced air-to-air intercoolers and dramatic bodywork designed to mimic Porsche’s own 935/78 team car. This particular 935 K3, chassis 000 00027, was purchased new by the legendary Interscope Racing team and finished in their iconic black livery with tri-color stripes. Campaigned in the IMSA GTX class during the 1981 and 1982 seasons, and campaigned by Danny Ongais, Bill Whittington, and team owner Ted Field, this K3 achieved outstanding results including a 2nd place finish at the 1982 Road Atlanta IMSA Spring Sprints. In addition to its successful IMSA career, this 935 K3 also competed in the 1982 Sebring 12 Hours, the 1982 Riverside 6 Hours, and the 1981 Suzuka 1000 Kilometers.
In its current ownership, this 935 K3 has been carefully prepared for an active career in vintage racing, with mechanical preparation overseen by the finest Porsche specialists in the US. Not only has this Interscope 935 been raced with success at Rennsport Reunion, the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and Le Mans Classic, it recently received Best in Class at the 2021 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where Porsche 935s were honored with a featured display.
1986 March 86C (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000)
A tried and true racing champion, this 1986 March 86C, chassis 86C-13, was famously driven to victory in the 1986 Indy 500 by Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Famer Bobby Rahal. The brainchild of March Engineering and Jim Trueman’s Truesports racing team, the March 86C was designed by Adrian Newey as a versatile car to be successful in various styles of races and tracks. Indeed, it proved itself in countless races, culminating in five more wins with Rahal in that season alone, and a 1st place finish in the 1986 CART Championship.
The offering of 86C-13 presents the rare opportunity to own an Indy 500 winner and iconic competition car. It still retains the same Cosworth DFX turbocharged V-8 engine that powered its win at Indianapolis, and it has impeccable provenance, having been purchased by the consignor in 1990 directly from the Truesports racing team. Its decorated livery includes prominent Budweiser sponsorship, as well as Jim Trueman’s “Happy Birthday” sticker.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Trans Am (Estimate: $1,400,000 – $2,000,000)
As the first of just six Chevrolet Camaros built and raced by Penske Racing, this 1967 Camaro Z/28 Trans Am, chassis 7N163378, represented a new era of competitive American muscle car production. It is just the 14th Z/28 built, and was the first Chevrolet Camaro to ever win a professional race, paving the path for fellow pony cars from the legendary domestic marque. Throughout its extensive racing career, it was primarily driven by the incomparable racing superstar Mark Donohue. In its present state, chassis 7N163378 honors its lengthy career on the competition circuit, and has been meticulously restored by notable Chevrolet expert Kevin Mackay to the specification of its first victory. This sale gives admirers of American muscle and competition icons the chance to acquire one of the most significant Chevrolet racing cars ever produced.
1977 Porsche 934/5 (Estimate: $1,300,000 – $1,600,000)
Specifically designed by Porsche to compete in the North American IMSA series, the 1977 Porsche 934/5 is a hybrid of the marque’s 934 and 935 models. This particular example, chassis 930 770 0951, was the first of only 10 934/5s built, and promptly made its competition debut at the 1977 12 Hours of Sebring, where it was entered by the legendary Porsche team Brumos Racing. It was driven by the team’s star driver, Peter Gregg, along with race car driver Jim Busby. Remarkably, this example qualified 1st and finished the punishing endurance race in 3rd place, all while wearing its iconic Brumos livery.
Chassis 930 770 0951 was then acquired by well-known privateer Jim Busby, who continued to race it through the 1977 season, where he placed 2nd at Laguna Seca. In 1978, the car was sold to another racer, Monte Shelton, who updated it to full 935 specification and continued to race it through the 1983 season. Since then, this 934/5 has been owned by a number of collectors, and recently underwent a restoration under the consignor’s care to refinish the 934/5 in the exact specification and livery in which it appeared at its competition debut at Sebring in 1977. To date, it has only been shown once, at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, and has never before been offered for public sale. This 934/5 would be a significant addition to any collection of Porsche racing cars, and due to its spectacular history, is suitable to be displayed in a museum and is eligible for historic events and vintage races such as the Rennsport Reunion.
1966 Lola T-90 (Estimate: $1,000,000 – $1,400,000)
This early model of the notable British race car engineering brand, Lola Cars, was a powerhouse in significant competitions of the era, paving the road for future examples from this historic supplier of competition champions. One of only three Lola T-90s built, this particular car, chassis 90/2, was driven by Jackie Stewart at the 1966 Indianapolis 500, where he was crowned Rookie of the Year. The famous F1 driver had a substantial career with this T-90, also racing it to a win at the Fuji 200 in Japan for legendary car owner John Mecom. Not only was chassis 90/2 a formidable competitor, but its sleek, performance-driven design and striking livery make it a head-turner off the track, too. Chassis 90/2 is powered by Ford’s famous four-cam V-8 racing engine and boasts an aluminum monocoque supported by steel subframes. It has been in the consignor’s possession since 1995, when it was purchased from the significant collection of David Uihlein. This is an incredible opportunity to acquire a competition veteran from one of the golden eras of motor sports.
Click here to watch the Ford GT40 Alan Mann Lightweight video
Text and image courtesy of Gooding & Company
The Pebble Beach Auctions
Dates: Friday, August 13, at 5 p.m. PDT, and Saturday, August 14, at 11 a.m. PDT
Location: Pebble Beach Parc du Concours
Public Preview: Wednesday, August 11 through Saturday, August 14
Auction Catalogues: $100, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auction
General Admission: $40, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auction
Live Auction Broadcast: www.goodingco.com
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