Minardi Proclaim Success as Auction Ends

In what Minardi has termed the largest auction in Formula One history, the Anglo-Italian team has concluded today the four-day event, proclaiming the result "extremely pleasing".

Minardi held the auction at their facility in Ledbury, England, with more than 6,000 lots on offer. The team said today thousands of potential buyers visited the auction site, with several thousands more bidding on the Internet.

According to Minardi, bids ranged from $8 (US) for a team tee-shirt, to over $180,000 for a 1997 Tyrrell 025 Formula One car in running order.

Drivers Zsolt Baumgartner, who raced with Minardi this season, and Nicolas Kiesa, who raced for Minardi in the second half of the 2003 season, attended the auction and assisted with the daily bidding over a ride in the Minardi two-seater F1 car. The two-seater ride auctions collected $70,000, all going to charity.

At the conclusion of the event today, Minardi Team Principal, Paul Stoddart, commented: "I'd like to thank Bache Treharne, as well as all our staff, for their fantastic efforts and for the weeks of support that led to thousands of items representing modern F1 history going to good homes in the course of what has been a truly international event.

"I"d also like to thank Zsolt and Nicolas, who gave freely of their time to attend the event and to assist with the auction of the Minardi two-seater rides, the proceeds of which will benefit two very worthwhile causes. In addition, Nicolas was kind enough to provide Danish translation services on the internet!"

Bache Treharne Chief Auctioneer, Chris Hall, who sold the first lot on Wednesday morning and brought the bidding to a conclusion on Saturday afternoon, said: "With goods sold to customers as far away as Brazil, Australia, the United States, Japan, South Africa, and most western European countries, there is no doubt this has been both a successful and enjoyable event. Everyone at Bache Treharne is very proud to have been involved in what has been undoubtedly the biggest F1 auction ever."