RM Sotheby’s first-ever Abu Dhabi auction features three F1 cars

Normally known for its prestigious auctions at Monterey, Villa Erba, or Amelia Island, RM Sotheby’s is set to hold its first major auction in the Middle East.

A joint event with the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in late November/ early December, the auction is to feature a relatively limited number of cars for auction – only 40 are listed on the RM Sotheby’s website preview for the inaugural Abu Dhabi auction.

Amongst the lots are some unique and rare motors, including the Pagani Huayra Aether previously covered off by MOTOR.

“An expertly curated selection of significant Grand Prix racing machines, road-going automobiles with motorsport connections, and blue-chip classics and supercars will form the region’s first-ever major international collector car auction,” an RM Sotheby’s statement reads, and it’s not wrong.

Though only three “expertly curated” former F1 cars are part of the auction, the likes of a Ferrari FXX K, a Maserati MC12, and a McLaren P1 GTR speak to the motorsport lean of the event.

Of the three F1 racers, two were piloted by Michael Schumacher – one being his 2002 Ferrari F2002 chassis #219, the car which won him the San Marino, Austrian, and French GPs in 2002. As one of F1’s most renowned (and dominant) machines, the F2002’s expected AUD$8,095,000 to $11,039,000 auction price isn’t a huge surprise.

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Some of the sale price will also be donated to the Keep Fighting Foundation which aims to “continue Michael Schumacher’s charitable work.”

The second F1 car in the listings is another former Schumacher steer, his 1992 Benetton B192, which scored him podiums (both 3rd) in Germany and Italy in ’92.

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A much more affordable estimate suggests somewhere between AUD$1,214,500 and $1,619,500 could land you Schumacher’s ‘sophomore year’ F1 car, and his first at Benetton.

Finally, a 1982 Ferrari 126 C2 (pictured in the main image) is up for grabs, having been driven by Patrick Tambay to win the German GP in ’82, and later by Mario Andretti to 3rd at the Italian GP. AUD$2,944,000 is the lower estimate for this car, though RM Sotheby’s doesn’t expect it to reach much more than $3,680,000.

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