Jordan-Ford 191 / Bonhams

Michael Schumacher's First Formula 1 Car Is For Sale

Home / Sports / Michael Schumacher's First Formula 1 Car Is For Sale

By Arthur Boiron on February 2, 2023 at 2:00 AM EST

Michael Schumacher is probably one of the best if not the best Formula 1 driver of all time with 91 Grand Prix and 7 titles of world champion in his pocket. Of course, everybody knows Lewis Hamilton broke those records but like Michael Jordan VS LeBron James and Roger Federer VS Rafael Nadal, the debate of the GOAT is still up to date.

But are we debating about that today? No, but we have great news for Michael Schumacher fans, we mean fortunate Michael Schumacher fans. The first Formula 1 car our famous driver ever used is now for sale at an auction in the beautiful city of lights, Paris.

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The Iconic Jordan-Ford 191

This event is incredible for many reasons. It's marvelous for the Formula 1 fan who loves old cars like the iconic Jordan-Ford 191 that has that green color and the 7UP sponsoring, and It's also astonishing for Michael Schumacher fans who used to watch him at his first Grand Prix back in 1991. For more history, during the first practice with this car, Schumacher surprised everybody by clocking the eighth-fastest time.

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This car, which is the first car he has ever driven in a Formula 1 race, will be sold at the "Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris" event organized by Maison Bonhams, a famous auction organizer in the city of lights. The event is set to happen on the 2nd of February at the Grand Palais. Yes, you might want to take a plane or call someone now if you want to have a chance to get it. Also, if you intend to go for it, don't forget that the price will be between 1.4 and 2 Million Euros so you better take your savings with you.

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Another interesting thing about this car is the fact that you can do more than just expose it in the middle of your living room. The car works perfectly and if you want to, you can drive it on a circuit, as Louis Frankel said: "The car is relatively simple to run compared with the Formula 1 cars of today. It comes with a pre-heater and starter, all that is needed to get the car running". But of course, you can't drive it on a normal road since It's way too fast. And if you were thinking about that, you're a little bit crazy.

Finally, Louis added: “With a car so historically important in the career of one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, this car presents an opportunity for collectors internationally to own a piece of unrepeatable Formula 1 history.”

A Car Hiding A Dark Background

What you maybe don't know, is that Michael Schumacher wasn't destined to drive that car on that day. He was, as it still exists today, a substitute that you can call if one of your two drivers has a problem. Bertrand Gachot was the one who was supposed to drive it, but he had an accident and it turned out very bad for him.

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Bertrand Gachot had a car accident in London and an altercation with the other passenger. The problem is that it wasn't a simple fight, he was accused by the court of tear gas use in order to defend himself. However, the court decided to give him an 18-month prison sentence, so he couldn't drive his car anymore, and that's why Michael Schumacher was able to drive that legendary car earlier than he thought. After that, he started doing amazing things during races, on and outside the circuit with the engineers and ended up being the legend he is today.

Going back to the car itself, there are only two examples of the 1991 Jordan-Ford 191 that exist in the whole world, and you know where the other one is? In Michael Schumacher’s personal collection in his museum at the Cologne airport. So this car is practically unique. If you have it, you will have something amazing in common with your idol, because only two people will have it: Michael Schumacher and you. So of course, this sale is your greatest opportunity, if you have the money, of course.

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Also, to let you know, It will be possible to get one of Michael Schumacher's helmets during the same auction in Paris. The first helmet is from 1995 with the colors of the Benetton Formula 1 team, the year he won his second world champion title, and the second one is from 1996, the helmet of his first season at Ferrari. The first one is estimated between 9000 and 15000 dollars and the second one is estimated between 13000 and 18000 dollars because, of course, It's Ferrari.

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