Mansell memorabilia sells for over £2million

Renowned auction house RM Sotheby’s - which is selling Lewis Hamilton’s 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix-winning Mercedes W04 in Las Vegas next month - sold 324 lots across three days.

The exact reason for the 1992 F1 champion moving on his private collection, previously housed in his museum on the island of Jersey, in such a significant sale has not been publicly disclosed. All lots were offered without reserve.

They have fetched over £2.05m, with a variety of the ex-Lotus, Williams, Ferrari and McLaren driver’s crash helmets leading the line-up.

The most expensive lot was the race-worn helmet Mansell used in the 1985 European GP, his first of 31 topflight wins. The hammer fell at £68,400. A helmet from his 1992 title-winning F1 campaign went for £61,200.

Nine of the 10 top sales were helmets, including a lid from his brief 1995 return with McLaren (£48,000) and two from his Ferrari stint. A Newman-Haas helmet from his 1993 championship-winning CART season sold for £29,400.

Curiously, among the top performing lots was the personalised registration plate ‘5 NM’, in deference to his iconic red race number, which went to its new owner for £50,400.

The most expensive trophy was his winner’s pot from the 1992 San Marino GP at £28,800. A ‘prancing horse’ sculpture to commemorate his two F1 seasons at Ferrari hit the same figure.

Mansell's 1985 European Grand Prix-winning helmet topped the order, selling for £68,400

Photo by: Motorsport Images

The 1992 British GP first-place trophy made £26,400 and a Sparco race suit, boots and gloves from the same season reached £21,600.

Almost £10,000 was shelled out for a steering wheel from the 1994 McLaren MP4/9, £7,200 for an assortment of five F1 wheels and tyres and £6,900 for a letter from former British prime minister John Major.

His four Autosport Awards, including three Drive of the Year accolades (1991-93) fetched an average of £2850.

It is thought that some of the successful bidders will be collectors who already own examples of Mansell’s race cars and want to buy the accompanying memorabilia.

Last year, at RM Sotheby’s Monaco sale, Mansell sold three race cars from his personal collection.

The 1989 Ferrari 640, which pioneered a semi-automatic paddle shift gearbox, that he guided to victories in Brazil and Hungary fetched £3.1m.

His 1991 British GP-winning Williams FW14, most notable for being the machine in which he gave Ayrton Senna a lift back after the McLaren driver ran out of fuel, sold for £3.5m.

The 2005 Reynard 2KI from the short-lived Grand Prix Masters series achieved a more modest £49,000.