WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOS: RM SOTHEBY’S
1979 Formula 1 World Champion Jody Scheckter has consigned 12 cars from his personal collection to RM Sotheby’s Monaco Auction, scheduled for May 11, 2024. The unprecedented sale includes the South African Drivers’ Championship-winning Ferrari 312 T4, which by itself equates to around half the collection’s combined value of €9,960,000–€12,920,000.
1971 Merlyn Mk21 (€35,000-€55,000)
Chassis 318 was built by Scheckter while he was working as a fabricator for Colchester Racing Developments, which produced Merlyn racing cars from 1960 to 1979. Young Scheckter put his handiwork to good use, claiming three wins in the 1971 British Formula 3 season against the likes of future F1 rivals James Hunt and Alan Jones, as well as TWR founder Tom Walkinshaw. The car was retained by Merlyn until 1989 before passing into Scheckter’s ownership, and is presented for sale in its distinctive Lucky Strike livery.
1969 Merlyn Mk11a (€45,000-€65,000)
Also known as the Magic Merlin, chassis 238 is the most famous race car produced by the British manufacturer. And for good reason; was chassis 238 raced by not only Scheckter, but also Emerson Fittipaldi, Colin Vandervell and Frank Sytner. In the hands of Vandervell, chassis 238 won the British Formula Ford Championship in 1970.
1974 Trojan T101 (€65,000-€100,000)
Scheckter drove chassis 106 – the last of six T101s built – to victory in three rounds of the 1973 SCCA L&M Formula 5000 season, which was enough to secure him the championship title over Brian Redman. Powered by a thunderous 435bhp 5.0-litre Chevrolet V8 mated to a Hewland DG300 transmission, and with a kerbweight of just 610kg, the T101 remains an incredibly capable machine.
1973 Rondel Motul M1 (€65,000-€100,000)
1973 was Scheckter’s final year on the penultimate rung of the motor sport ladder: Formula 2. That year, chassis 204 was campaigned by Scheckter and Tom Pryce, albeit with limited success despite being constructed by Ron Dennis and Neil Trundle ahead of their ascendancy to McLaren in Formula 1. The car then enjoyed a long career in the US from 1974 to 1985, before being acquired by Scheckter and restored with his eye-catching ‘73 livery.
1972 McLaren M21 (€130,000–€200,000)
One of just three examples in existence, this Papaya Orange-liveried machine was built for Scheckter from a spare chassis for the 1972 Formula 2 season. Scheckter raced the car in three of the 14 races that year, scoring a pair of third-place finishes at the season opener at Mallory Park and the Autodromo di Perguso in Italy. His rivals included the likes of Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Vic Elford, John Watson and Carlos Reutemann, but it was Mike Hailwood who emerged as champion.
1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ (€320,000–€450,000)
As the only road-legal car in the sale, this debonair Italian classic occupies a special place in the Scheckter Collection. Despite its road number plates, however, this Zagato-bodied Alfa also boasts significant competition provenance, having campaigned in the 1961 and 1963 editions of the Targa Florio along with various Italian hillclimb events.It was owned and raced in period by Ignazio Giunti, who went on to compete in four F1 races with Scuderia Ferrari.
The car has since been restored to its 1962 Targa Florio specifications, and is eligible for high-profile Historic events such as the Mille Miglia.
1977 Wolf WR1 (€450,000–€650,000)
Walter Wolf’s 60 percent buyout of Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1976 culminated in the striking WR1, which was raced by Jody Scheckter in the team’s debut season in 1977. Designed by Harvey Postlethwaite and Patrick Head, the blue-and-gold machine made an immediate impact in Scheckter’s hands by winning the season opener in Argentina. Scheckter scored another two wins at Monaco and Canada, in addition to six podium finishes – enough for a second-place spot in the Drivers’ Championship behind Niki Lauda.
This particular chassis, WR1/3, was used by Scheckter in five of the 17 rounds in the 1977 F1 calendar, before being handed over to another World Champion, Keke Rosberg, in 1978. It is offered in Scheckter’s original 1977 livery, and is eligible to compete at top Historic racing events such as the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique.
2008 Tyrrell P34 (€450,000–€650,000)
The six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 is one of the most iconic and radical F1 racers ever conceived. The P34 debuted in 1976, before reappearing as the P34B for the following season. Scheckter drove the car in its first season of competition alongside team-mate Patrick Depailler, and secured the P34’s sole Grand Prix victory at the Swedish Grand Prix. This particular example was constructed by Warrington-based firm CGA Race Engineering from parts around an unused period chassis during the 2000s. Magneto covered fascinating story behind chassis 8’s creation back in issue 7.
1976 Tyrrell 007 (€650,000–€900,000)
The Tyrrell 007 was contested by Scheckter in 12 races across the 1975 and 1976 Grand Prix seasons, delivering a best result of third at the 1975 British GP. The striking Elf-liveried machine is offered with its original Ford-Cosworth DFV engine and Hewland transmission, and is eligible for Historic motor sport events, including the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique.
1971 McLaren M91A (€750,000–€1,000,000)
Chassis M19A-1 was driven by Scheckter in his Formula 1 debut in 1972 at Watkins Glen. It competed in 17 Grands Prix across 1971 and 1972, and was also driven by the likes of René Arnoux, Mark Donohue, Peter Gethin, Denny Hulme, Brian Redman and Peter Revson. The McLaren M19A was also the first model penned by Australian designer Ralph Bellamy, who also created race cars for Brabham, Ensign, Fittipaldi and Lola.
One of just two M19As built, this particular chassis raced in Bruce McLaren Motor Racing, Penske Sunono and Yardley Team McLaren liveries. It is offered for sale in Yardley colours, complete with Scheckter’s name in cursive script above each side-pod.
1973 McLaren M23 (€1,750,000–€2,250,000)
The McLaren M23 is one of the most important cars the team has ever created, delivering the now-legendary squad its first Constructors’ title in 1974 as well as two Drivers’ Championships with James Hunt and Emerson Fittipaldi.
Chassis M23-2 was driven to victory by Peter Revson at the British Grand Prix in 1973 and was raced by Scheckter in two Grands Prix. M23-2 campaigned in a total of 63 races in period. After retiring from F1, M23-2 passed into the McLaren factory collection before passing into Scheckter’s ownership.
1979 Ferrari 312 T4 (€5,250,000–€6,500,000)
The jewel in the crown of the Scheckter Collection, chassis 040 is the very car the South African used to seal his F1 Drivers’ title in 1979. Adding further to its almost mythical provenance is the fact that this car is the last to win the Drivers’ Championship in Enzo Ferrari’s lifetime.
Designed by the late Mauro Forghieri, the Ferrari 312 T4 was the Scuderia’s first Grand Prix to fully capitalise on ground effects aerodynamics pioneered by Colin Chapman’s Lotus team. Chassis 040 was only ever driven by Scheckter, who purchased it directly from Ferrari in November 1982. It has been preserved in entirely original condition ever since, with its worn seatbelts and numbered components left in place.
