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.
Source: Autosport