One to Buy: 1 of 1 Gulf Racing Imola 500km winning 1969 Mirage M3
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John Wyer’s Mirage team created the M2 as a Group 6 Prototype to contest the 1969 World Sportscar Championship alongside the team’s Group 4 Ford GT40s that had won the title in 1968.
Three of the new M2 Coupes were built up during the course of 1969, the first of which (chassis 01) was to run a Ford engine with Hewland gearbox while chassis 02 and 03 used BRM motors with ZF units.
Owing to difficulty sourcing a Cosworth DFV because of demand from F1 teams, chassis 01 was the last M2 that appeared. It debuted at the Nurburgring 1000km on June 1st 1969, but retired at quarter distance with suspension trouble.
On its return from Germany, chassis 01 was uprated to M3 Spyder specification, the only one of the three M2s to be reconfigured as such.
In its new open top form, chassis 01 showed much promise at the Watkins Glen 6 Hours and Zeltweg 1000km, but ultimately failed to finish on either occasion. However, it subsequently came good at the Imola 500km non-championship race where Jacky Icky took a commanding victory.
Unfortunately, the M3 programme was abandoned soon afterwards following Porsche’s decision to recruit John Wyer’s Gulf Oil-backed operation to manage the 917 programme for 1970 and ‘71.
Set to go under the hammer at Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic sale on July 3rd is the one and only M3 created by Mirage: chassis 01.
Presented in superb condition throughout, this unique Group 6 Spyder would make an exciting and competitive entry for all manner of prestigious historic events.
