(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – A spectacular million-dollar deal is brewing in the market for historic racing cars. Soon, a true one-of-a-kind will be auctioned: the 1967 AAR Eagle Mk I Gurney-Weslake, which is not only visually one of the most beautifully shaped Formula 1 cars of all time but also holds a unique record.
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The auction house expects proceeds of up to nine million US dollars (around 8.3 million euros) for the iconic car. This enormous estimate is justified by a unique feature that makes the car the ultimate collector’s item: it is the only American make ever to win a race in the top class.
The success came at the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, when its creator himself was behind the wheel: Dan Gurney, American racing driver and founder of All American Racers (AAR), a Californian team. This victory was the first and only Formula 1 triumph of a US constructor since Duesenberg in 1921 and makes the Eagle to this day one of the most significant vehicles in the history of American motorsport.
The Eagle Mk I: the American dream in Formula 1
The project originated in 1964 from an idea by Gurney and his friend Carroll Shelby. The goal was to build a structure that could be competitive at the highest level in international motorsport. After initial experiences in US racing series, AAR began developing a racing car intended also for the Formula 1 World Championship.
Len Terry, a British engineer who was already responsible for the Lotus 38, the winning car of the 1965 Indianapolis 500, was entrusted with the design. The Eagle Mk I relied on an aluminum monocoque and a particularly unusual engine: the 3.0-liter Gurney-Weslake V12, developed by the British company Weslake and equipped with 48 valves. The engine produced around 287 kW (390 hp) at 10,500 rpm – a highly sophisticated configuration for the time.
Only four examples of the Eagle Mk I were built, and only three versions with the Gurney-Weslake V12. The car to be auctioned this September is chassis number 103 – one of two V12 examples still in private collector hands.
After its debut in 1967, the Eagle immediately showed great potential. Dan Gurney achieved notable results, including third place at the Canadian Grand Prix the same year. However, the limited reliability of the project restricted the team’s overall record. The most prestigious success remained Spa – a victory that went down in history.
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A collector’s car with long endurance after Formula 1
After the end of its official Formula 1 career, the Eagle Mk I with number 103 changed owners several times. In 1969, it was bought by US driver Danny Ongais, who wanted to convert it for the SCCA Formula A – a project that was never completed.
In the following years, the car belonged to several private collections in the USA and the United Kingdom and later returned to the track at historic racing events. It participated in renowned events such as the Goodwood Revival, the Festival of Speed, and the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, where it also achieved a remarkable result in the class for historic Formula 1 cars in 2002.
The current owner has kept the car in his private collection since 2002. According to specialists who recently examined the vehicle, the racer requires technical preparation before returning to the track, but its historical value remains unaffected.
Besides its technical rarity, the appeal of the Eagle Mk I is mainly based on its connection to Dan Gurney: a driver who won in Formula 1, at Le Mans, and at the Indianapolis 500, but also belonged to the few who designed their own Formula 1 car and led it to victory in a Grand Prix. A record that to this day – almost sixty years later – no other US constructor has been able to repeat.
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