Description:

OVERVIEW

Arrows Grand Prix International was formed in 1977 by a group of former Shadow personnel led by Franco Ambrosio, Allan Rees, Jackie Oliver, Dave Wass, and Tony Southgate—its name an acronym drawn from their surnames. After a turbulent beginning that included a copyright dispute over the Shadow-derived FA1, Arrows regrouped and steadily refined its technical approach.

Despite the challenging start, Arrows had gained the backing of Warsteiner beer, and the A1 showed flashes of promise. After a few DNFs, Riccardo Patrese scored a 4th place finish in Canada, 1978, a 5th in Belgium in 1979, and Jochen Mass also scored a 6th place finish at Monaco, in the last race for the A1.

The radical A2 of 1979 pushed ground-effect theory to its limits, employing sliding skirts and an inclined drivetrain to maximize venturi efficiency. Although capable of generating immense downforce, the A2 proved difficult to drive and ultimately gave way to the more conventional—but far more successful—A3. The A3 delivered three podium finishes across the 1980 and 1981 seasons and established Arrows as a competitive midfield force.

The Arrows A4 represents the culmination of the team’s ground-effect development during the early 1980s, built for the 1982 Formula One season and campaigned by Mauro Baldi. Designed under the direction of Dave Wass, the A4 took clear inspiration from Williams’ highly successful FW07, while introducing advanced construction techniques that pointed toward the future of Formula One design. The monocoque utilized honeycomb aluminum composite construction, while carbon fiber bodywork was introduced to reduce weight and improve stiffness—an early adoption of materials that would soon become standard across Formula One.

Arrows is understood to have run three complete A4 chassis during the 1982 season. Early testing incidents, and the practical realities of international travel documentation (customs carnets), led to the reuse of chassis plates, a common practice of the era. Following Mauro Baldi’s accident in Detroit, a rebuilt monocoque—understood to be A4/5—was introduced mid-season, carrying the A4/2 chassis plate. Cross-referenced period reporting and paddock photography from Brands Hatch and Dijon support the conclusion that this car corresponds to the rebuilt chassis used by Baldi in the second half of the 1982 championship. It retains a remarkably intact configuration, with a continuous and well-documented ownership history from period competition through modern historic racing.

Driven by Mauro Baldi, this A4 contested the latter half of the 1982 Formula One season with the following results:

• Canadian Grand Prix (Montreal) – 8th

• Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort) – 6th

• British Grand Prix (Brands Hatch) – 9th

• French Grand Prix (Paul Ricard) – DNF

• German Grand Prix (Hockenheim) – DNF

• Austrian Grand Prix (Österreichring) – 6th

• Italian Grand Prix (Dijon) – DNQ

• Caesars Palace Grand Prix (Las Vegas) – 11th

Motorsport historian Allen Brown of OldRacingCars.com recognizes this car as one of the three complete A4s retained by Arrows following the 1982 season, noting its continuous and credible history back to the factory.

After its contemporary Formula One career, the A4 was sold directly from Arrows in the late 1980s and entered historic racing with Ted Williams, who campaigned the car in Thoroughbred Grand Prix competition beginning in 1989. Following two seasons of use, it passed to Fabrice Lebee (France) and then 20 years with Jerome Lausseure (France), before being acquired by Laurent Fort in 2011.

While Fort did not race the car, new FIA Historic Technical Passport papers were issued in 2012. The next family ownership acquired the A4 in 2014 and subsequently exercised the car sparingly at Barcelona, Monza, and Magny-Cours between 2014 and 2017 before the car was sold via William I’Anson Ltd. (UK) to an active and knowledgeable USA based collector and racer in 2019.

The current owner did what any thoughtful racer does on acquisition – strip the race car down to the tub and inspect and address all components. The Cosworth DFV engine was sent off to Phil Reilly and Co. for a full rebuild while Mike Gent from Gent Auto Restorations (Oregon, USA) completed the full chassis rebuild and race preparations. The A4 has been used at four events since this full build, with minor tear down and inspections following each race weekend, including its most recent outing at the Monterey Historic Races in August 2025.

The A4 remains notably original, having seen limited on-track use since its period career. It is offered with:

• FIA Historic Technical Passport Papers valid to 2029

• Three sets of wheels (including Avon slicks and wet-weather tires)

• External starter motor

• Numerous boxes of spares for racing – brake rotors, shocks, springs, misc. hardware, etc.

With its documented provenance and FIA HTPs, the Arrows A4 is eligible for premier historic Formula One events, including the FIA Historic Formula One Championship and Masters Historic F1 events around the globe.

Offering genuine Formula One history, period correctness, and proven competitiveness, this A4 represents a compelling opportunity to acquire a well-preserved ground-effect F1 car from one of the sport’s most innovative eras.

Please contact Jason at +1-206-355-7727 or Hans at +1-425-417-5877 for more information on this vehicle.

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