Description:

We have the pleasure to offer this iconic and front running 1980 Fittipaldi F8 chassis 1 for sale.

• The 1st new Harvey Postlethwaite designed Fittipaldi ground-effect F1 car

• Driven by founder and world champion Emerson Fittipaldi and future world champion Keke Rosberg

• Completely restored by Italian specialist Protech with help from former technical director Richard Divila

• Sold in fresh, race-ready condition with current FIA HTP, spares and restoration file

• Eligible and front running car for Monaco Historic Grand Prix and Masters Historic F1

Fittipaldi Automotive, founded by World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, bought the assets of the Wolf team for 1980, and initially used Harvey Postlethwaite's WR7/WR8/WR9 cars, updated and renamed Fittipaldi F7s. A new Postlethwaite design was originally intended to be ready for the Belgian GP but it was delayed until early July. Only two F8 cars, F8-1 and F8-2, were built for the 1980 GP season. The car was an evolution of the Wolf design, using the same full honeycomb monocoque that Postlethwaite had pioneered in 1979. In other respects the F8 was highly conventional, following the shape of the Williams FW07, Brabham BT49 and Arrows A3. Like almost all F1 cars of that era, it employed inboard front suspension with rocker arms, had outboard brakes both front and rear, and used a single pillar (centre post) rear wing.

Team boss and lead driver Emerson Fittipaldi shook down F8-1 at Snetterton and Donington prior to driving it at the 1980 British GP. Future world champion Keke Rosberg received F8-2 at the German GP but the drivers then swapped cars for the next race. The F8 was a huge improvement on the F7, and Rosberg had a storming drive in F8/1 from last place to finish fifth at Monza. After the last 2 races of the 1980 season, F8-1 stayed with the team and was sold to ADA Engineering at the end of 1982 together with the other Fittipaldi assets.

The F8-1 tub and suspension was subsequently sold to Rowland Tobacco, the Camel advertising agency in South Africa where it was displayed as a Camel Lotus show car until the owner passed in 2006. Alan McDonald (UK) who was a long-time racing driver manager bought the car, still in its show car spec and livery, and kept it as such until he sold it to Italian Marco Fumagalli in 2016. Fumagalli then commissioned Massimo Pollini, former race engineer at Ralt, Reynard, March and AF Corse and now head of Protech, to undertake a full restoration of the car to its original 1980 specification. Former Fittipaldi Technical Director Richard Divila provided drawings, technical details and advice during the project which was successfully completed in February 2018 with a first showing and shake-down at the 2019 Minardi Day at Imola.

On December 12th 2020, Emerson Fittipaldi has recently celebrated his 74th birthday in Italy in the presence of his former F8-1 during which he also signed the tub (which still carries its Huntingdon Technical Resin Bonders label inside the bulkhead).

F8-1 is sold in freshly restored condition with new fuel tank, current crack test reports, new belts and fire system together with a rebuild gearbox and a zero-hours Mader short-stroke DFV engine.  Spares include 2 new sets of spare wheels and the car comes with a restoration file and with a current FIA HTP valid until Dec 31st 2028.

This iconic ground-effect 1980 Fittipaldi F8-1 is eligible for the Monaco Historic Grand Prix while also being a welcome and front running entry for Masters Historic F1 in either Europe or USA.