Estimated Price: £40,000 - £50,000

The 1983 British Formula 3 Championship was famously defined by an intense, legendary season-long title battle between future Formula 1 legends Ayrton Senna da Silva and Martin Brundle in nearly identical Toyota-powered Ralt RT3 chassis and is widely regarded as one of the greatest junior category seasons in motorsport history. Following their monumental F3 duel, both Senna and Brundle were instantly snapped up by Formula 1 teams for the 1984 season, joining Toleman and Tyrrell respectively. Martin Brundle recently quoted in a Motorsport magazine article that, 'Without that car I was destined to become a Toyota salesman in West Norfolk. Because of it, I ended up in F1'.

The 20-race season unfolded as a dramatic game of two halves with Senna initially dominating in his West Surrey Racing-run car. Senna didn't just win, he destroyed the field early on, winning the opening nine races consecutively and this psychological dominance, a characteristic of his later F1 career, left the rest of the grid shell-shocked. Brundle's turning point came during a morale-boosting European Championship race at Silverstone when he took a confident victory in his Eddie Jordan-run car whilst an over-aggressive Senna crashed trying to hunt him down. With Brundle finding his stride, Senna grew visibly rattled and the rivalry became physically volatile culminating in a long lunge by Senna into Fosters at Oulton Park which resulted in both RT3 Toyotas stacked on top of each other. With Brundle on a late-season charge and Senna suffering multiple DNFs while desperately trying to overtake him, Brundle and #375 unbelievably went into the final round at Thruxton with a one point lead in the standings. However, the Hampshire circuit marked a return to the status quo with #375 running a down-on-power reserve engine, while Senna's car was utterly untouchable, dominating practice and sailing to a clean victory to seal the championship.

Some years ago, RT3/83 #375 was tracked down in Sweden and returned to the UK where it was completely rebuilt and finished as it would have looked in 1983, in Sieger colours and wearing the number '2'. It was subsequently purchased by our vendor in 2016 and moved to Scotland where it has continued to be maintained to a very high standard by Knockhill-based Graham Brunton Racing (now GBR Stratton Motorsport), Scotland’s most successful single seater racing team. More recently, it was campaigned during 2022 in the FIA Historic F3 Cup, winning the 1979-83 Class and made a high-profile appearance at last years British Grand Prix when it was reunited with Martin Brundle as part of a parade of cars commemorating the life and times of the late Eddie Jordan.

The car is supplied with a substantial selection of spares, many of which are new and unused. The list of new parts includes: three nose cones, rear wing pillar, rear wing plane, wing top plane, two wing mounting plates, two front lower wishbones, two front rockers, two front toe links, front and rear brake lines, two rear lower wishbones, two rear rockers and two rear toe links. The used inventory includes a rear upright assembly, driveshaft assembly, Luminition pack, various clutch plates and slave cylinder parts. The parts box includes shims, joints, top hats and NAS bolts.

We understand RT3/83 #375 has current FIA HTP Papers (Period 1983-1990. FIA Class F3/4) Valid until 31st December 2028.

1983 was a remarkable year in British F3 when the battle for supremacy between a Norfolk lad and a Brazilian superstar in virtually identical machinery, overseen by the guile and cunning of Eddie Jordan and Dick Bennetts respectively, would catch the public's imagination and #375 is one half of that memorable part of motorsport history.

Beautifully prepared, on the button, and on the pace with a backstory that ranks in surely the top ten of driver battles, #375 is a must for any Historic racer or collector and we welcome your inspection at our BRDC Silverstone sale.