Racing drivers who repurchased their former race cars

To me it´s a strong sign of passion for racing when famous and successful racing drivers who´d driven the most desirable, powerful and expensive race cars during their career feel the desire to rebuy their old race cars in which they started racing.

As an example, the three times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Marco Werner bought back his Monaco winning Ralt F3 car and owns his old FF1600 (which he self constructed and built back then  )

Another example is former BMW works driver Jörg Müller who bought back his Van Diemen FF1600 which he raced in the German Championship in 1988. It was the very car, in which Ellen Lohr won the German FF1600 Championship the year before.

IIRC David Coulthard still has some of his old racing cars from FF1600, F3, F3000 as they were on display at the (now closed?) David Coulthard Museum.

Any more drivers with a soft spot for their old machinery?

To me it´s a strong sign of passion for racing when famous and successful racing drivers who´d driven the most desirable, powerful and expensive race cars during their career feel the desire to rebuy their old race cars in which they started racing.

 

As an example, the three times Le Mans 24 Hours winner Marco Werner bought back his Monaco winning Ralt F3 car and owns his old FF1600 (which he self constructed and built back then  )

 

Another example is former BMW works driver Jörg Müller who bought back his Van Diemen FF1600 which he raced in the German Championship in 1988. It was the very car, in which Ellen Lohr won the German FF1600 Championship the year before.

 

IIRC David Coulthard still has some of his old racing cars from FF1600, F3, F3000 as they were on display at the (now closed?) David Coulthard Museum.

 

Any more drivers with a soft spot for their old machinery?

Alonso.......

I gather Jody Scheckter has quite a collection. And I seem to recall that the 917/10 was one of the most prized pieces in it.

M21 was in the museum at Donington, but I didn't know who actually owned it. Was there just the one chassis, or was there a spare?

Edited by 2F-001, 01 December 2018 - 20:32.

I believe Scheckter also has (or has had) his FF and F3 Merlyns, Rondel M1, McLaren M19, M21 and M23, Trojan T101, Tyrrell 007 and P34, Wolf WR1 and Ferrari 312T4.

http://www.kendleada...kter-collection

Daniel Ricciardo has his Redbull from 2014, It's on permanent display at the Motor Museum of WA.

A great idea for a thread! There must be some of the early champions that found their old rides.

How about Marc Surer?

I think he still have (Or at least had in some point during and after his career in F1.) his Arrows A6 and that model was, if I remember correctly, the very last possible chassis model because Herr Surer really didn't like the following model at all because it was either a too understeering or on as a very rare occasion, too oversteering. A7 really had some bad handling issues along it's season when it was used unlike it's predecessor.

A7 though had it's first time problems also with the turbocharged engines and sometimes with it's radial tyres rather than cross-ply tyres.

Edited by Blue6ix, 02 December 2018 - 09:00.

Is the other Lola a F2 car, funformula?

Here are the other pics I took at Reudi's garage that day in 2016:

Reudi has pics of some of his racing cars all around his desk.

Yes, this is the Lola on top of the storage frame, actually not a hoist I now realise.

But I think he has fondest memories for his original hillclimb car.

Tiff Needell competes in the FF1600 Lotus 69 which he won as a prize years ago.

John Surtees had a magnificent collection of cars which he had manufactured plus a number of bikes on which he competed.

Didn't Barry Sheene own a 1976 500cc GP Suzuki?

Is the other Lola a F2 car, funformula?

 

Here are the other pics I took at Reudi's garage that day in 2016:

 

 

Reudi has pics of some of his racing cars all around his desk.

 

 

Yes, this is the Lola on top of the storage frame, actually not a hoist I now realise.

 

 

Wow...I´d only seen him in his Lola 87/50 and 88/50 F3000 cars (you can see the 88/50 on the picture beside his right shoulder) but the car on the storage frame is certainly not one of them.

Jo Bonnier was another. I believe he had one of his F1 cars in his (?) art gallery.

Wasn´t it hanging at the wall of his living room?

Christian Fittipaldi had the same idea with the Minardi F1 he drove in 1992.

Wasn´t it hanging at the wall of his living room?

Ricardo Rosset has his Arrows FA17 he raced in 1996.

Ricardo Rosset has his Arrows FA17 he raced in 1996.

...and his Tyrrell 026 from 1998

Edited by B Squared, 02 December 2018 - 14:19.

Edited by B Squared, 02 December 2018 - 13:58.

I believe Scheckter also has (or has had) his FF and F3 Merlyns, Rondel M1, McLaren M19, M21 and M23, Trojan T101, Tyrrell 007 and P34, Wolf WR1 and Ferrari 312T4.

http://www.kendleada...kter-collection

Thanks for that one Tim.

I hadn´t Scheckter on my radar as a person with huge interest in racing history as he went away from the sport to become very successful in very different areas.

As an addition to my opening post and maybe of some interest to the Formula Ford addicted around us, here is a picture of the FF1600 Marco Werner built and raced at the beginning of his career.

https://www.facebook...&type=3

Augie Pabst owned two of the Scarabs that he raced. The front engine car, chassis 2, was his from the 1960s until he sold it a few years ago. The rear engine sports racer Scarab is still in the family collection. He bought that in 1965.

Tom

Nigel Mansell has a museum in Jersey above a dealership that he owns. The cars used to be displayed at Woodbury Park Golf Club near Exeter.

http://themansellcol...k/story/museum/

Edited by PRD, 02 December 2018 - 17:20.

I remember a conversation I had years ago with a former Brabham mechanic who said that Carlos Reutemann owned one of the Ferrari's he raced, I think it was the 1978 Brazilian Grand prix winning car and that he also had the engine from the 1977 Brazilian Grand prix winning car, but it could be the other way around!

John Surtees had a magnificent collection of cars which he had manufactured plus a number of bikes on which he competed.

Didn't he bury some of his old bikes in the garden at Edenbridge, then exhume them in later years?

Denny Hulme kept a M20 Can Am car, and I believe he bought his M23 when he retired. 

...and his Tyrrell 026 from 1998

 
 I found it for him...

The question I have: why did some drivers kept/purchased that specific car? Did Boutsen like the Arrows A6 particularly, or was it just so that in the beginning of his career he could not afford to buy his former cars?

I remember vaguely that there was the father of a killed F3-driver who made a monument for his son with the car that he crashed in...

Towards the end of 1958, Mike Hawthorn wrote to Enzo Ferrari and asked to buy his championship winning car. He made it clear that he only wanted it for display purposes but did not receive a reply. This was recorded in Champion Year.

A great pity as I’ve never seen a Dino, even a replica, in 1958 form.

There was no sentimentality about old racing cars at Ferrari, they were quickly gutted of any still viable bits and then put on the rubbish heap, I recall seing a picture of some of the late 1950s GP cars thus abandoned many years ago, but cannot recall where, perhaps it was on this forum.

Eje Elgh tracked down and bought his Chevron B38.

Christer

There was no sentimentality about old racing cars at Ferrari, they were quickly gutted of any still viable bits and then put on the rubbish heap, I recall seing a picture of some of the late 1950s GP cars thus abandoned many years ago, but cannot recall where, perhaps it was on this forum.

There is a picture of the Lancia-based cars in the Maranello scrapyard in Graham Gauld's Modena Racing Memories.

Scheckter is apparently still looking for his supercharged Renault that he raced at the start of his career and earned him the "Sideways Scheckter" moniker.

 
 I found it for him…

Yes, in Germany. Wasn´t it the one with the missing steering rack?

BTW missing parts: You don´t have a Tyrrell 024 headrest somewhere in the corner of your workshop? I may need one 

BTW corner of your workshop: Is the red Tyrrell in the picture the one that was converted into a Ferrari lookalike showar?

IIRC David Coulthard still has some of his old racing cars from FF1600, F3, F3000 as they were on display at the (now closed?) David Coulthard Museum.

The museum was initially in the middle of DC's home village of Twynholm.  But it closed in 2009, only to reopen shortly after at the Cocabean Factory just outside the village.  But it has closed again this year due to space issues.  I don't know where the exhibits have gone although I believe they remain the family's property.  DC's parents still live in Twynholm. 

I stayed in the Star Inn in Twynholm last year (purely by chance - it came up on LateRooms and I can recommend it, very good value, comfortable and excellent breakfasts!) and the very hospitable lady who runs the place proudly showed me a display case in the saloon bar with several of DC's trophies and a helmet. 

Eric Haga of Seattle raced a Lola T190 in the early 70s.  He found the car in 2008, restored it, and has raced it in historic races.  Here is a link:

http://www.britishra...a-lola-t190.htm

Vince H.