Race-Winning Williams FW07 F1 Car May Fetch Over $1 Million

A Williams FW07 Formula One car is on track to sell for more than $1 million when bidding closes in an online auction.

Listed by Race Cars Direct, this Williams was driven to the top step of the podium by Alan Jones at the 1979 Dutch Grand Prix. Throughout the rest of the 1979 season, it competed in seven additional races at the hands of Jones and Clay Regazzoni. The following year, it raced at the Aurora AFX British F1 Championship and claimed four pole positions and three race wins.

The FW07 holds a special place in Williams’ racing history, as it was the outfit’s first vehicle to use ground effects that were just introduced in F1 by Lotus. The car was applauded for being extremely small and light, tipping the scales at just 579 kg in 1979 trim and ultimately dropping to just 540 kg for the 1981 and 1982 seasons.

The auction house says that, after its successful racing career, this particular FW07 underwent a comprehensive restoration that took more than 1,000 man hours to complete. The restoration saw many original parts fitted, and when those weren’t available, high-quality replacement items were used instead.

To ensure the racer runs perfectly, the engine and gearbox have been rebuilt by specialists at Geoff Richardson Engineering and BPA Engineering. At the time of writing, the highest bid was £675,000 ($940,000), but the auction closes on March 31, so that number could very well go up.