Off-track action
Silverstone Festival, one of the UK’s biggest historic motorsport gatherings, returns to the Northamptonshire circuit from 22-24 August 2025.
Away from the packed grids and bustling paddocks, however, there will be a selection of race and rally cars not there to compete.
More than 40 motorsport machines – including a 72-year-old single-seater and a 2004 Subaru rally star – will cross the block on 22 August in the Iconic Auctioneers sale.
So, whether you are an aspiring rally driver, a circuit racer looking for a new set of wheels, a motorsport-obsessed collector or – like us – simply a daydreamer, here are some of the most interesting competition cars going under the hammer, presented in chronological order.
Prices are given GBP£ and US$, and all conversions were correct at the time of writing
1. 1953 Staride Mk3 (est: £12-15,000/$16-20,000)
Feeling brave? This Staride Mk3 Formula Three car is not for the faint of heart.
Despite its somewhat crude appearance, though, this 1950s JAP-engined single-seater was innovative for its day: a central fuel tank, front wishbones and some clever damping at the rear made it a competitive racer.
This one comes with plenty of spare parts, having been used mostly for hillclimbs in recent years.
2. 1961 Deep Sanderson 301 (est: £40-50,000/$53-66,000)
Unless you are an endurance-racing fanatic, you’ve likely never heard of the Deep Sanderson 301.
Powered by a rear-mounted Mini engine, the little coupé was designed to be an affordable sports car for the road.
Apparently, just 17 were built including this works car, which competed at Le Mans in the early 1960s.
3. 1963 MGB (est: £25-30,000/$33-40,000)
British specialist Oselli campaigned this MGB for a number of years before it was sold to Peter May Engineering in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily put the brakes on its historic motorsport career, so the Worcestershire firm used the time to rebuild this race-ready MGB.
Since then, this Iris Blue car has competed at the Spa Six Hours in 2023 and in the Historic Sports Car Club’s Guards Trophy.
4. 1964 Mini Cooper ‘S’ (est: £28-32,000/$37-43,000)
This 1071cc Mini was turned into a racing car for the 2009 Goodwood Revival, when the St Mary’s Trophy race was held as a one-model competition to celebrate 50 years of the Mini.
This Mini Cooper ‘S’ was driven by 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal.
Despite all the work that went into making this Mini a Goodwood competitor – a new crankshaft, pistons, flywheel, carburettors, close-ratio gearbox, rollcage and more – it’s had little use since its 2009 outing.
5. 1965 Ford Anglia 105E (est: £12-16,000/$16-21,000)
This modified Ford Anglia 105E has a bespoke spaceframe chassis up front, uprated double-wishbone suspension, disc brakes, ’bike carburettors and a Fiat Twin Cam engine.
Apparently it makes 175bhp, so it’s no slouch.
Iconic Auctioneers believes that it was built by tuning firm Broadspeed.
6. 1965 Marcos 1800GT (est: £35-40,000/$47-53,000)
This green-and-yellow Marcos 1800GT is an original racing car.
The Volvo-powered GT made its debut in July 1965, when it was campaigned at Oulton Park and Silverstone in the same month.
It then belonged to a string of enthusiasts, whose ownerships are all documented in this car’s big history file.
With Weber 45 DCOE carburettors, a lightweight flywheel and straight-cut gears, this sleek Marcos is ready to race.
7. 1968 Ford Escort Twin Cam (est: £70-90,000/$93-120,000)
Built at Ford’s Boreham works in Essex, this Escort Twin Cam was prepared for international rallying.
Retirement at its debut event, at the 1968 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland, was followed by a secondment as a recce car for the 1969 Acropolis Rally in Greece.
It was sold to privateer Eric Jackson and then Will Crawford, who entered the 1970 RAC Rally.
It’s now used sparingly for historic events, still sporting its 1968 1000 Lakes Rally livery.
8. 1983 Ralt RT3 (est: £38-48,000/$50-64,000)
From Formula Three’s ground-effect era, this Ralt RT3 was driven by Emanuele Pirro in period.
The five-time Le Mans winner and Formula One racer was reunited with this Ralt at 2024’s Silverstone Festival, when he signed a section of the bodywork next to the cockpit.
This Alfa Romeo-engined single-seater was recommissioned by the current owner after it won the French Historic F3 Championship in 2016.
9. 1985 Toyota Supra (est: £70-80,000/$93-106,000)
Motorbike racing legend Barry Sheene campaigned this Group A Toyota Supra in the 1985 British Saloon Car Championship.
His best result was a third-place finish at Silverstone, shortly after the car was reshelled following a six-car pile-up at Thruxton.
Team manager Gordon Mayers was reunited with the car and confirmed its originality.
It appeared in the Barry Sheene tribute at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
10. 1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (est: £25-30,000/$33-40,000)
This Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was built for Colin McRae in his first season in Group A competition.
With co-driver Derek Ringer, McRae won the 1989 Shell Oils Cumbria Rally and the Trackrod Forest Stages in this car.
After its stint with McRae, this Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was sold to a new owner in the Republic of Ireland, where it competed in the Irish Tarmac Championship.
11. 1988 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth (est: £28-34,000/$37-45,000)
Bizarrely, the Production Saloon Car Championship’s 1989 season included a 25-hour race at Snetterton.
Usually a twice-round-the-clock competition, that year’s race was extended by one hour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its sponsor, Willhire.
Mark Hales and former F1 driver Slim Borgudd won the race in this Firestone-sponsored Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth.
12. 1990 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 500 (est: £250-300,000/$332-398,000)
British Saloon/Touring Car Championship ace Andy Rouse finished third in the 1990 season in this Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 500.
It marked the end of the Group A Sierra’s time in the BTCC, with the 1991 regulations outlawing the fast Ford.
But this car went out with a bang, with wins at Oulton Park, Donington Park, Thruxton and the Birmingham Superprix.
Rouse was reunited with this car at the 2001 Goodwood Festival of Speed, but it’s rarely been seen in public since.
13. 1994 Jaguar XJ40 (est: £14-18,000/$19-24,000)
This might be the most unlikely racing car in this slideshow, but this c300bhp luxury saloon means business.
Its 4-litre AJ16 engine was rebuilt by Peter Lander of Sigma Engineering.
It has a JaguarSport inlet manifold, Cosworth pistons, Piper camshafts, a lightened flywheel and more.
It’s ready to race in a number of series, including the Classic Sports Car Club’s Jaguar Championship.
14. 1997 Ford Escort WRC (est: £250-350,000/$332-465,000)
This brightly coloured Ford Escort WRC was driven by Carlos Sainz Snr, Juha Kankkunen and others in rallying’s top flight.
It was originally built by Ford Motorsport at Boreham, but later modified by M-Sport when the firm took over running the Blue Oval’s rally team.
This car’s highlights include Carlos Sainz Snr and Luis Moya’s second-place finish at the 1997 Rallye Monte-Carlo, and Jarmo Kytölehto and Arto Kapanen’s podium at Rally Finland.
15. 1999 Alfa Romeo 156 (est: £30-35,000/$40-47,000)
This Alfa Romeo 156 has raced in tin-top categories in Italy, Germany and the UK, including a four-year stint in the BTCC.
This car’s current engine, built by Brunswick Motorsport, has been driven 350km (217 miles), while the Mardi Gras Motorsport-prepared gearbox has covered just 150km (93 miles).
The latter, a specialist based in Daventry, UK, has looked after the car for a number of years. Its last public appearance was at Brands Hatch in 2024.
16. 2004 Subaru Impreza WRC (est: £280-320,000/$372-425,000)
The blue-and-yellow Subaru Impreza WRCs are among the most iconic rally cars from the 2000s.
This one, built by Prodrive and campaigned in WRC events from 2004-’07, is a genuine works entry.
Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen finished fifth in this car in Rally Mexico and Rally Cyprus in 2004.
Former Prodrive employees Graham Sweet and Jason Bridge recently helped to rebuild it.
If you would like to find out more about this car, or any of the lots in the Iconic Auctioneers Competition Cars sale at Silverstone Festival from 22-24 August, click here to view the full catalogue.
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