Would you pay R1m for an F1 car?

Would you pay R1m to have a Formula One car in your collection?

You could, if you accept that the 1995 Rothmans Williams FW17 is just a show car and a non-runner. But for the F1 enthusiast who’d like the ultimate conversation piece in their garage or their company lobby, this show car is virtually indistinguishable from the Adrian Newey-designed Williams raced in the 1995 season by David Coulthard and Damon Hill.

Built by the Williams team for use in promotional activities, the show car has carbon fibre parts, genuine race wheels and display Bridgestone tyres, along with a dashboard, steering wheel, seatbelts and wishbone suspension.

It’s priced at €55,950 (R930,947) excluding VAT at British classified site www.racecarsdirect.com.

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The website features a large number of racing cars for sale, some of them very rare and collectable. For those seeking a race-ready car, who have R12.1m to spare (excluding delivery fee), none is more desirable than the Porsche 935, a modern-day version of the famous “Moby Dick” Porsche that dominated motor racing in the late 1970s and early 1980s, including overall victory in the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hour.

Porsche has built just 77 units of the 515kW racer, which is made for clubsport events and track days, and is based on the 911 GT2 RS. Like its historic predecessor, most of the body has been replaced or supplemented by carbon fibre composite parts and a streamlined extended rear.

Because the car isn’t homologated, engineers and designers didn’t have to follow the usual rules and thus had freedom in the development.

The aerodynamics pay tribute to the Porsche 935 Le Mans race car, which fans dubbed “Moby Dick” due to its elongated shape, huge fairings and white base colour.

Many interior elements also salute to winning vehicles from the company’s motor racing history. The knob on the gearshift lever has a laminated wood design, as used in the 917 Le Mans winner, the 909 Bergspyder and the Carrera GT.

The reborn racer also has a carbon steering wheel, safety cage and a racing bucket seat with a six-point safety harness. A second seat for the passenger is available as an optional extra, and the car has aircon.

Interested parties need to act quickly as the site lists the delivery date as July 19, and options can still be customised.