Description:

1975 Tyrrell 007

Offered Without Reserve

€650,000 - €900,000 EUR

• Offered from The Jody Scheckter Collection
• An evolution of Ken Tyrrell and Derek Gardner’s legendary Elf-sponsored cars
• Driven by Scheckter in 12 races during 1975-76
• Third place at the 1975 British Grand Prix at Silverstone
• Powered by a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine with a Hewland gearbox
• Eligible for collector car events around the world including the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique

Addendum: Please note this lot has entered the EU on a temporary import bond, which must be cancelled either by exporting the lot outside of the EU on an approved Bill of Lading with supporting customs documentation or by paying the applicable VAT and import duties to have the lot remain in the EU.

Veuillez noter que ce lot est entré dans l'UE sous couvert d'une autorisation d'importation temporaire, qui doit être annulée soit en exportant le lot en dehors de l'UE avec une lettre de débarquement approuvé accompagné des documents douaniers nécessaires, soit en payant la TVA et les droits d'importation applicables pour que le lot reste dans l'UE.

The Tyrrell Formula 1 team was starting a new era as it looked ahead to the 1974 season. Its star driver, Jackie Stewart, had retired at the end of the previous year, and Ken Tyrrell had signed two drivers who would each be embarking on their first full season at the sport’s highest level: Frenchman Patrick Depailler and young charger Jody Scheckter, who had been one of the sensations of 1973 thanks to his pace in the Works McLaren M23.

The old 006 model was pressed into service for the “fly away” races in Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa that opened the season, before a brand-new Tyrrell, still in iconic Elf colours, was introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix. The 007 was the work of designer Derek Gardner and was beautifully simple in its execution. The biggest change from the 006 was a significant increase in its wheelbase, something that Jackie Stewart had championed in order to make it easier to drive than its twitchy predecessor. The front-end treatment was a big visual departure from the full-width nose that had been used on the 006, but some features were carried over—including the inboard front brakes—as Gardner opted for evolution rather than revolution.

Powered by the ubiquitous Ford-Cosworth DFV engine, the 007 was competitive straight out of the box. Scheckter finished 3rd in Belgium and 2nd at Monaco, then won in Sweden, leading a Tyrrell one-two with teammate Depailler. Scheckter followed up with another victory in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, and remained in contention for the Drivers’ World Championship until the final round of the season.

Such was the inherent quality of the 007 that it was carried over into the 1975 season, with Gardner’s latest upgrades including the relocation of the front brakes so that they were now outboard. The first few races were a mixed bag for Scheckter, but he took victory on home soil in the South African Grand Prix, and finished 2nd in Belgium.

The car being offered for sale is chassis number 007/6, which made its debut at the 1975 French Grand Prix and would serve as Scheckter’s race car for the rest of that year. After finishing 9th in France, he was classified 3rd in a memorably chaotic British Grand Prix at Silverstone. The race started dry, but a rain shower after 20 laps encouraged Scheckter to switch to wet tyres. He then had to change back to slicks when it dried out, but he recovered well and had only Emerson Fittipaldi and Carlos Pace ahead of him as the field started the 56th lap.

When they arrived at the far end of the circuit, though, they found that a rainstorm had drenched the track. Scheckter was among a number of drivers who went off at Club corner and the race was stopped. Results were taken from the end of lap 55, which meant that he finished 3rd behind Fittipaldi and Pace.

The season ended with Scheckter and 007/6 claiming a World Championship point for 6th place in the United States Grand Prix, and he continued to race this same car into 1976. After finishing 3rd in the non-championship International Trophy at Silverstone, its final race outing with Scheckter came at the Spanish Grand Prix, but it was retained as a spare car until August.

Tyrrell then sold 007/6 to Austrian privateer Otto Stuppacher, who unsuccessfully attempted to qualify for the Italian, Canadian, and United States Grands Prix—and that marked the end of the car’s Formula 1 competition career.

Extraordinarily, 007/6 went on to become one of the few Formula 1 cars to go behind the Iron Curtain when a later owner, Ruedi Jauslin, made an exhibition appearance at the 1979 Ecce Homo hillclimb at Šternbeck, Czechoslovakia. The vast majority of Czechoslovakians had never seen a Formula 1 car so its demonstration reportedly drew huge crowds. Swiss national Jauslin is also known to have run this Tyrrell at Côte de Bourbach-le-Haut in France. After Jauslin, 007/6 is known to be owned by well-known collector, Ivan Scotti, before being purchased by its period driver, Jody Scheckter, in 1997.

Now being offered for sale from the collection of Formula 1 legend Jody Scheckter—the man who raced it so successfully in period—chassis 007/6 is fitted with a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine and Hewland FG400 gearbox. Presented in period-correct livery, complete with Elf sponsorship, it’s an evocative survivor from one of the most competitive eras of Grand Prix racing.

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