To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Amelia Island event, 8 - 9
March 2019.
Estimate:
$900,000 - $1,200,000
- Driven by Juan Manuel Fangio II to Toyota's first IMSA GTP
win
- Built and designed by Dan Gurney's All American Eagles
- Recent and extensive race-preparation by Canepa
- Provisionally accepted for the 2019 Monterey Historics
Please note that this lot is sold on a Bill of Sale.
The All American Racers traces its roots back to Goodyear's desire
in the mid-1960s for a racing car that would topple arch-rival
Firestone in the Indianapolis 500. Goodyear looked to Dan Gurney
and Carroll Shelby, who advocated for a Formula 1 car that could
proudly wave the American flag on the international stage.
The task was a daunting one. The U.S. produced talented drivers,
but the last one to win behind the wheel of an American car was
Jimmy Murphy in a Duesenberg at the 1921 French Grand Prix. AAR
debuted its first car at the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix, the Len
Terry-designed Eagle Mark I. Though AAR was based in Southern
California, the sophisticated race car had more flags to wave than
just the American Stars and Bars, however, as both Terry and the
Eagle Mk I's engines were British.
The Eagle Mk I set the stage for AAR's next four-plus decades. In
the early 1980s, Gurney's team began a relationship with Toyota to
help the Japanese automaker promote its sporty Celica in the IMSA
GT Championship. The team did well, earning Drivers' and
Constructors' Championships in 1987. The next year, AAR moved into
IMSA GTP racing for 1989. IMSA approved the Toyota Dome 88C chassis
for GTP, giving AAR the green light for chassis designer Ron
Hopkins and aerodynamics guru Hiro Fujimori to collaborate on a new
car.
The result was the Eagle HF89. Its name derived from Hopkins' and
Fujimori's surnames and the debut year, although it later became
known as the Eagle Mk II in a nod to its importance for AAR. The
HF89 is ultra-rigid, with an aluminum monocoque with a honeycomb
center for extra strength. A carbon composite body wrapped around
its 2,140-cc GTO Celica-derived dual-overhead camshaft turbocharged
four-cylinder engine mounted on a separate rear sub-frame. A
Hewland six-speed manual transmission sent power to the wheels via
a stiff, double-wishbone suspension with outboard-mounted
coil-springs over dampers providing race-ready firmness.
AAR signed Juan Manuel Fangio II to pilot one of the cars it
developed, but the 1989 season proved fraught with difficulties due
to the hopped-up engine's reliability. The team spent the offseason
revising the bodywork and improving engine cooling. Their work paid
off: Fangio racked up Toyota's first GTP win when he nabbed pole
position and never gave up the lead in a grueling race against
Geoff Brabham's Nissan at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kansas. He
would later win at Sears Point, San Antonio, and Del Mar, finishing
in 2nd place behind Brabham, overall.
Fangio was behind the wheel again at the beginning of the 1991
season when he won at Watkins Glen before the new Mk III racer was
ready for him later in the season. HF89's tenure was not over,
however, as it was passed on to Rocky Moran.
Since being retired from AAR's team 25 years ago, HF89 has remained
very well preserved. AAR Toyota racing veteran Dennis Aase bought
the car from the team and later had it refinished to its
Topeka-winning livery. It was later displayed at the Museo Fangio
in Balcarce, Argentina, as a showpiece. During its time away from
the track, its disuse left it in attractive, but non-running
condition.
Its current owner acquired the HF89 in 2015 and commissioned Canepa
to revive the Eagle to become a competitive vintage racer. The
extensive restoration came at a cost of more than $800,000 and
3,500 man-hours to fully refurbish its potent powertrain. A new ECU
allows its 2,143-cc turbo-four to make a healthy 680 hp, once
again. The car's advanced chassis has been thoroughly re-examined
to ensure that it is as rigid and safe today as it was 30 years
ago. Included are also two sets of new wheels for use in
competition, along with the originals for showing.
The Eagle HF89 made its vintage racing debut in 2016 at the Rolex
Monterey Pre-Reunion and a few days later at the Reunion. It has
subsequently been driven at the Sonoma Historic Motorsports
Invitational, the 2017 Rolex Reunion, and the 2018 Rolex
Reunion.
Presented in race-prepared condition, the Eagle HF89 has been
provisionally accepted for the 2019 Monterey Historics.
Additionally, the seller has applied for current FIA papers to
facilitate eligibility for many international Group C racing
events.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am19.
