For the second time in 18 months, Michael Schumacher’s debut Formula 1 car, the Jordan 191 chassis No.6, is set to be auctioned, with the historic car expected to sell for over £1 million.
The car is set to be auctioned next month in Paris by Bonhams, with the auction house expecting it to fetch somewhere between £1.2 million to £1.75 million.
Schumacher famously drove the Jordan 191 at the 1991 Belgian Grand Prix, where the seven-time World Champion made his F1 debut.
He was brought in by Jordan to replace Bertrand Gachot, who had been sent to prison for 18 months for aggravated assault.
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The German driver immediately showed what he could do and sensationally out qualified his team-mate, before sadly retiring on the opening lap due to a failed clutch.
He’d shown enough, though, to get him quickly signed by Benetton for the remaining five races of the 1991 season, with the German driver having gone on to claim the 1994 and 1995 titles for the team.
Michael’s son, Mick Schumacher, recently drove his father’s Jordan 191 at Silverstone in 2021, as part of a show run.
Schumacher’s Jordan 191 is his second F1 car to be recently sold, with his Ferrari F2003 having been sold at a Sotheby’s auction last November in Switzerland.
Schumacher’s 2003 title-winning car sold for £10.7 million, the second highest fee ever paid for an F1 car at auction.
The incredible price that Schumacher’s Ferrari sold for is due to a “huge rise in interest” in F1 cars, something which has resulted in “more money in the market”.
“The market for modern era Formula 1 cars has seen a huge rise in interest from collectors in recent years, and that has translated into a significant increase in the prices the cars now command,” Sotheby’s marketing and communications director Peter Haynes told PlanetF1.com.
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“There is more money in the market now, so these cars which are incredibly sophisticated and expensive to maintain – are being bought by collectors who have the resources to look after and maintain them.
“Manufacturers like Ferrari, McLaren and Williams, have all created dedicated divisions of their businesses that offer clients the facilities and technical support necessary to look after the cars.
“There’s no question that Ferrari and McLaren F1 cars lead the way in desirability and those driven by Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna are the most desired.”