2009 Brawn GP 001 is up for auction

March 11, 2025 Francis Mitterrand

Brawn GP is not a famous Formula 1 team, but it is an interesting one. The team was founded in 2009 by management led by Ross Brawn from the Honda Racing F1 team, after the Japanese team withdrew at the end of the 2008 season. It competed in just one season, and the car driven by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, the 2009 Brawn GP 001, is up for auction.

In its short history, Brawn GP has achieved a truly remarkable result. At the end of the 2009 season, Jenson Button won the championship, while the team won the constructors’ title. This is the first of just three chassis from the Formula 1 ‘Cinderella Story’ team, and after the season it was gifted to Jenson Button.

After Honda decided to leave Formula 1, Ross Brawn did not want to shut down the team, so he reached an agreement with Mercedes, who supplied the team with engines, and decided to continue competing under a new name. In its only season, the team achieved 8 wins, 15 podiums, 5 pole positions, 4 fastest laps and 172 points.

Brawn GP 001 is powered by a Mercedes-Benz FO 108W naturally aspirated 2.4-L V8 engine delivering 750 hp @ 18,000 rpm, mated to a semi-automatic sequential transmission.

The auction will take place on May 3, 2025 at the Miami International Autodrome.

Source: Bonhams

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EU ban on sales of combustion engines from 2035 remains

March 11, 2025 Francis Mitterrand

The EU has announced that it will not abandon its ban on the sale of combustion engine cars from 2035. “We are sticking to the targets for 2035, as well as those for 2025 and 2030,” said Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

When the EU announced that it would introduce new CO2 regulations from 2025, threatening heavy fines for those who did not comply, many European manufacturers rebelled. The EU then tried to find a compromise, and the deadline for reducing emissions was extended to 2027. This means that instead of measuring emissions compliance over just one year, averages will be measured over the past two years.

The group that represents manufacturers of electric vehicles and chargers, T&E, opposes the extension of the deadline, believing that the decision will not have a positive effect, because manufacturers will be able to produce less affordable vehicles, which will increase the already unattainable difference between Europe and China. They believe that the EU should be decisive in its goals and not make any concessions. However, how realistic would it be for the EU to make a radical decision?

The transition to fully electric cars is an expensive process and requires a lot of investment. This includes investment in research and development, new supply chains, training and equipping distributors and their workshops. The fact that the deadline had to be extended is an indication that the ten-year target is unrealistic. However, car manufacturers now have just three years to reach the new targets.

Source: Reuters

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1989 RUF CTR ‘Yellowbird’ sold for $6,055,000

March 11, 2025 Francis Mitterrand

Between 1987 and 1996, German automobile manufacturer Ruf Automobile built, from scratch, just 29 examples of the CTR Yellowbird, and one recently sold for $6,055,000 USD.

This CTR Yellowbird was produced in 1989 and is one of only nine CTRs originally finished in Definitive Blutengelb (Blossom Yellow). It is based on the narrow-bodied 911 Carrera 3.2 to keep aerodynamic drag and weight to a minimum. The original body parts were replaced by lightweight aluminum panels, which reduced the car’s weight by over 180 kg. Rain gutters have also been removed, the rear wheel arches have been widened to accommodate 17″ Speedline alloy wheels, aerodynamic side mirrors and special front and rear bumpers made of lightweight composite materials have been installed.

The car is in excellent condition, and during three decades the first owner kept it in a climate-controlled storage facility and maintained it regularly. It was registered for the first time in 2020 and sold to a new owner in the United States and has not driven a single kilometer since then. At the time of cataloguing, the odometer displayed just 1,673 km. It is equipped with an optional Leichtbau equipment package that includes aluminum front fenders, a leather-wrapped Matter aluminum roll cage, fire bottle, and Recaro racing bucket seats with shoulder harnesses.

When it comes to the powertrain, the CTR Yellowbird is powered by an air-cooled 3.4-L twin-turbo 6-cylinder engine with a Bosch motronic fuel injection, that delivers 463 hp at 5,950 rpm and 408 lb-ft of torque at 5,100 rpm. The engine is mated to an ultra-rare six-speed RUF manual gearbox.

Along with the car, the new owner received a tool kit, jack, tire inflator, roadside emergency equipment, and owner’s handbook folio, which contains the owner’s manual, warranty book, and literature relating to the Blaupunkt radio and Recaro seats, RUF Zertifikat, Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin, and a copy of the original sales invoice.

Source: Gooding & Company

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