WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOS: RM SOTHEBY’S
A vast 324-piece collection of memorabilia owned by Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell has fetched north of £2m in a sale hosted by RM Sotheby’s on October 10-11, 2023.
Some of the most lucrative items were a selection of race-worn helmets used by Mansell at various points in his motor sport career.
The most expensive helmet crossed the block for an impressive £68,400 ($83,403), and was worn by Mansell when he took the first of his 31 F1 race victories, at the 1985 European Grand Prix.
The ‘85 helmet was followed by an example the Briton used during his title-winning season with Williams in 1992, which sold for £61,200 ($74,624). A 1993 helmet from Mansell’s championship-winning CART season, meanwhile, fetched £29,400 ($35,849).
A race-worn Sparco race suit, gloves and boots complemented the array of helmets on offer and sold for £21,600 ($26,338), while Mansell’s ‘5 NM’ personalised registration was another high-grossing item, attracting a top bid of £50,400 ($61,455).
Winner’s trophies from the 1992 San Marino Grand Prix and the 1992 British Grand Prix also performed strongly, crossing the block for £28,800 ($35,117) and £26,400 ($32,190) respectively.
One of the most unusual items sold was a letter from former British Prime Minister John Major, which sold for £6900 ($8413).
RM Sotheby’s auctioned the Mansell Collection shortly before it offers a similar collection of memorabilia owned by the family of Graham Hill in London on November 4, 2023. Coincidentally, Nigel Mansell’s 1988 Ferrari Testarossa will head for sale at the same auction, with a pre-sale estimate of £150,000-£200,000 ($182,943-$243,925).
To view the full Nigel Mansell auction results, click here.
