A classic Formula One car that raced wheel-to-wheel with motorsport greats of the 1980s has gone on sale for a cool Dh3 million in Dubai.
The 1983 Arrows Formula One racing car, driven by Marc Surer, held its own in some thrilling clashes with the likes of Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, Keke Rosberg and Nigel Mansell.
The rare collector’s item — an original car used in the 1983 F1 season — is on sale via RMA Motors, complete with a spare parts package and the Arrows team race uniform worn by Surer, who finished 15th in the championship that year.
“This is an original car, one of two chassis that was used by the Arrows F1 team for a couple of seasons,” said Ryan Hughes, co-owner of RMA Motors in Dubai Investment Park.
“This has come from a private collector, who also has a Ferrari F40 and other F1 racing cars.
“He does business in Dubai and has connections with the Historic Dubai Grand Prix Revival event that takes place each year in Motor City.
“We put together a few videos of the car to see if we could find him a buyer here.”
Currently in Switzerland, the owner of the rare edition is seeking buyers in the Middle East and will ship the vehicle to Dubai once sold.
Despite its age, the racing car can still be driven in classic car events around the world.
The 5.39km Dubai Autodrome Circuit in Dubai Motor City attracts International classic racing cars to race in a heritage Grand Prix each year, with other events usually staged on the same weekend as cities hosting Formula One races.
The 1983 Arrows F1 racing car was a beast of its time, hitting speeds close to 320 km per hour and performing particularly well on the street circuit of Monaco.
Although the car picked up championship points throughout the season, it came closest to a podium finish when it was running in third in Monaco before a technical fault forced an early retirement after 49 laps with Surer at the wheel.
With a clear historical pedigree behind it, the car is expected to stoke plenty of interest now it is up for sale.
The car comes with an FIA Historic Technical Passport and is certified to race in classic GP races - a bonus for collectors.
“It is a proper racing car and has a ridiculous power-to-weight ratio,” said Mr Hughes.
“It raced against some of the fastest drivers of the era and held them off on a Monaco street circuit quite comfortably.
“These cars are so valuable as they are still useable, and the Cosworth engine was probably the most popular ever built in F1.
“You can buy many replicas, or static vehicles without the engine but cars like this rarely come onto the market, maybe only once or twice a year.”
