Post by braMinus engine and gearbox.
This is from an Autolite advert: http://www.oldstox.com/images/lotus%20in%201968.jpg
In 1968 I was happy to pull in one thousand pounds a year, so 6 years gross income would've got me a Lotus 49.
Does ANY team offer their current F1 car for private sale?
There's not much point. Back in the 60s there were teams in the WDC that entered cars that they bought from another team, there was the Tasman series and there were local F1 championships. And anybody who bought such a car could do a deal with Cosworth or some tuning shop for motors.
For a while, you could also sell the tubs to people who wanted to use then in hill climbing.
But now? Say a car did come up for sale. The systems on it would be so complex that the cost of running the car and having the staff to run it would dissuade most potential buyers, even if they could afford the tub and could source and afford an engine that would fit. And you never know, Zak Brown might get a mate to buy a Red Bull "for hill climbing", so that they could take a good look at how it is made. So any sale would have to deal with IP issues, and satisfy FIA that the car isn't going to be used for pile on the test miles.
Nah. Not worth it - for either party.
The only way you'd get them now is if a team went belly up and you bought the assets. Somebody somewhere has a couple of Manor tubs.
I don't think that in 30 years time we'll see Hamilton's Merc in a historic series.
