Ex-Barry Sheene 1985 Toyota Supra heads to auction

An ex-works Supra Group A racing car driven by racing legend Barry Sheene is going under the hammer at next month’s Silverstone Classic. Shene, a double world champion on two wheels, drove the Toyota in the 1985 Trimoco RAC British Saloon Car Championship.

The Supra goes under the hammer on 27 July with an estimate of between £60,000 and £80,000 at the Silverstone Auctions Race Car Sale at the famous Northamptonshire circuit.

Bought by the current vendor in 2012, the Supra has been restored, including major overhauls of the suspension, brakes, clutch and fuel lines. Fitted with a close-ratio five-speed gearbox in its original casing, the engine is good for 204bhp engine thanks to a DTA mapped injection which has been dyno tested by engine builder Ric Wood.

The car has also been validated by 1985 Team Toyota GB/Hughes of Beaconsfield team manager Gordon Mayers, and last year it was invited to Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of a Barry Sheene tribute.

Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, said, ‘This amazing Toyota Supra represents a very rare opportunity to own an iconic Group A Touring car with exceptional provenance and a significant motorsport background.' Whale added, ‘It’s an important part of motorsport history, and I expect there will be a great deal of interest on auction day.”

A familiar sight on TV and in the press in the seventies and eighties, Sheene retired from motorcycle racing in 1984 after winning the 500cc World Championship in 1976 and 1977. Sheene swapped two wheels for four to join Team Toyota GB to drive the Hughes of Beaconsfield works Supra in the 1985 British Saloon Car Championship, now known as the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

Races at the time were televised and while Barry Sheene’s celebrity status helped, it was his skill behind the wheel that won him the works drive. During the initial tests at Goodwood, he was only 0.4s off the lap time set by outgoing works Toyota driver, Win Percy.

Sheene took fifth place at the opening round at Silverstone, and third at Thruxton. However, Sheene was involved in a six-car smash later at Thruxton and left with a broken ankle and a badly damaged car. The Toyota was re-shelled and returned with Sheene at the wheel at the next round at Silverstone just two weeks later. Here, he achieved third overall. Sheene went on to complete the rest of the season finishing consistently in the top six behind the wheel of this Supra.

Included in the sale is a wide range of used and new spares such as differentials, strut inserts, suspension springs, suspension arms, subframe, manual steering rack, driveshafts, propshaft, brake discs, clutch plates, an assembled bottom end, head castings, race cams, Group A airbox, and various engine parts.

To find out more about the ex-Barry Sheene Toyota Supra Group A Touring Car visit silverstoneauctions.com.