In the upcoming BH Auction’s Tokyo Terrada sale on 12 January, the auctioneer has 26 lots lined up and there are plenty of gems. Ferraris such as the legendary 250GTE 2+2 or the more recent F40 are definitely staples in any auction, while retro classics like the 1954 Jaguar XK120 Drophead Coupe and the 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z432R are seen less often but just as attractive. There are two particular lots that stand out by nature though, as they are the epitomes of motorsports – the almighty Formula 1 racers.
When the Lotus 88 debuted in 1981 it was a novelty. It had a monocoque body mostly made of carbon fibre, and was built with a twin-chassis construction with the inner chassis holding the cockpit. In high speed the primary chassis would go down and stable the downforce, while the second chassis could to secure a mechanical grip. Other teams definitely had a problem with such advantage, thus the two examples – Lotus 88 and Lotus 88B – never made it further than free practice. The 88B here is part of F3 race driver Katsuaki Kubota’s collection and is ready for Historic F1 Race entry.
The Ferrari F187 was the last F1 racing car that ran the season with Enzo Ferrari’s presence. Car no. 28 was driven by Gerhard Berger and raced at Paul Ricard, Silverstone and Hockenheim. During qualifying sessions, the Tipo033 V6 twin turbo engine once produced 950bhp and was known as the most powerful F1 turbo machine. Both race cars do show signs of history but that’s probably part of their charm.
