Enzo Ferrari’s impact on Formula One racing could
hardly be over-stated. The man was responsible for running one of the most
dominant teams in the pre-war era, and for establishing the winningest team in
the decades since. This was the last F1 car he ever made, and it’s looking for
a new home.
It’s a Ferrari F1/87 – the very one that Michele
Alboreto drove in the 1987 world championship before Enzo died the following
year.
The car was designed by Gustav Brunner and overseen
(however late in the process) by legendary British engineer John Barnard. It
featured a new 1.5-liter turbocharged six with a 90-degree vee to replace the
old 120-degree engine. Even with the FIA’s new restrictor pop-off valves in
place, it could produce 950 hp in qualifying spec, or 880 hp in race trim. But it was not without its teething problems.
With five grand-prix victories already under his
belt, fan-favorite Alboreto drove chassis #100 in the Hungarian, Austrian,
Italian, and Portuguese grands prix. But while he qualified and raced
admirably, reliability issues forced him into retirement at each of those
races.
Alboreto scored earlier podiums in another of the
same, as did his teammate Gerhard Berger. In fact they took a spectacular 1-2
finish (Berger in the lead) at the season finale in Australia. That in and of
itself was a fitting send-off to the chassis and to the man ultimately
responsible for its creation and campaign.
However troubled this car was, however, it has
remained in climate-controlled storage these past few years. Bonhams says the
mechanical components will require recommissioning if it’s to run again. But
what a tribute to Mr Ferrari himself it would be for his last car to receive a
new lease on life. The auction house expects it will sell for around € 750k
(US$ 900k) at its sale in Monaco next month, where it will also auction off
Senna’s ’84 Toleman and ’93 McLaren.
