The car in which James Hunt secured his maiden F1 victory is to be sold at auction later this year at Silverstone.Hunt, who went on to win the 1976 title with McLaren, secured his maiden F1 victory the previous year at the wheel of Hesketh Racing's 308/2 chassis, which ran in a white livery with red and blue stripes and a famous teddy bear logo.
It was to be the only victory for the Hesketh team, which competed in F1 with its own cars from 1974 to 1978 – its debut having come in 1973 with a car purchased from March.
The 308/2, designed by Harvey Postlethwaite, carried Hunt to victory in the 1975 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, while he also finished on the podium in both France and Austria.
The car had been part of Lord Hesketh's private collection until 2007 but will now be sold at Silverstone Auctions' sale during the Silverstone Classic weekend, on Saturday, July 23.
“This is an incredibly exciting car, that carried one of the most well-known and loved British Formula 1 drivers to his first victory,” Silverstone Auctions' managing director Nick Whale told the Northampton Chronicle. “It is a very important part of Formula 1 history that continues to be successfully raced.
“We are very proud to offer it for sale during the Silverstone Classic. It seems fitting a car developed so nearby to Silverstone, at Lord Hesketh's Northamptonshire estate, should be returning here to be sold with Silverstone Auctions.”
The car has been used in recent years by Hunt's son James for a number of events, such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Silverstone Classic.
Source: Crash.net
