For Sale: 1980 Tyrrell Cosworth Formula 1 car - with 2024 Monaco entry for the bi-annual Grand Prix Historique

SOLD

A well-proven podium contender in historic racing and a charming history in the ownership of a grand prix legend.

Overview

Powered by Cosworth’s iconic DFV engine
Gifted by Ken Tyrrell to his former driver, Michele Alboreto, who went on to take three grand prix victories for Ferrari and win the 24 Hours of Le Mans
Proudly displayed for several decades inside the Alboreto family home in Italy
Purchased directly from the Alboreto family by our vendor in 2015, before a complete restoration by British specialists, CGA/Front Row Racing, for a successful return to historic competition
Raced to second place by the vendor in the 2021 and 2022 Monaco Historic Grand Prix
Offered in race-ready condition
The car’s current preparer, Front Row Racing, are ready to support the car on behalf of the buyer
Accompanied by valid FIA HTP papers and a good spares package
Potential to change livery to that of the famous ‘Candy’ domestic appliances company
Eligible for the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, Masters Racing Legends and Monterey Motorsports Reunion

Two races into the 1980 Formula 1 World Championship, the Tyrrell Racing Organisation introduced the Tyrrell 010. It was the British team's second attempt at producing a 'ground effect' Grand Prix car.
Pioneered during the late 1970s, ground effect aerodynamics relied on tunnels that ran on either side of the chassis to create a low-pressure area underneath the car, which effectively sucked the car to the track, generating downforce without the drag penalty usually associated with conventional wings. Tyrrell designer Maurice Philippe had been exploring a similar philosophy with the prototype for the earlier 008 model, which, like Gordon Murray’s famous Brabham design, was originally conceived to use a cooling fan to create the low-pressure area until such concepts were banned.
Therefore, the 008 that raced during the 1978 season was a wholly conventional car with an aerodynamics package focused on efficiency. It worked quite well, as Patrick Depailler proved with victory at Monaco that year. Lotus, however, dominated the championship with the ground effect Type 79. It took the rival teams some time to fully understand why the Lotus was so dominant. When they finally grasped the aerodynamic concept, several teams responded in 1979 with ground-effect cars of their own. Tyrrell was among them with the all-new 009. It finished on the podium four times. Such was the rate of development that the team that dominated the 1978 season did not score a single victory the following year. History repeated itself in 1980 when the defending World Champion, Ferrari, failed to even get on the podium.
The Tyrrell 010
The small Tyrrell team tried to keep up with this arms race and readied the 010 for the 1980 season. Where the incumbent 009 was very much designer Maurice Philippe’s interpretation of the Lotus Type 79, the new 010 followed the example set by the Williams FW07 of 1979. It was built around a narrow aluminium monocoque and, as with all previous Tyrrell Grand Prix cars, powered by Cosworth’s DFV engine with drive delivered via a Hewland gearbox. The engine and gearbox were ‘stressed members’, forming a structural part of the chassis.
In its latest iteration, the naturally aspirated V8 produced at least 485bhp, and the Hewland FGA gearbox could be fitted with five or six forward gears, depending on the circuit requirements.
Clean airflow was crucial for the efficiency of the ground effect tunnels. To achieve this, the suspension was moved in-board with the springs and dampers actuated by top rockers. Among the latest developments incorporated in the Tyrrell 010 were sliding skirts that ran the full length of the 'side pods'. These helped seal the area underneath the car, further optimising the ground effect. The downforce generated by the two tunnels was so high that the front and rear wings mainly served to fine-tune the aerodynamic balance.
With backing from Italian home appliance company Candy, Tyrrell fielded a two-car team with Jean-Pierre Jarier and Derek Daly as the drivers. Jarier was the first to receive the 010, debuting the new Tyrrell at round three, the South African Grand Prix. He finished a respectable seventh in a highly competitive field. Later in the year, he scored points on three occasions, finishing fifth in the Belgian, British and Dutch Grand Prix. At the British Grand Prix, both 010s scored points with Daly coming home in 4th. Later in the season, Mike Thackwell was entered in a third 010 for two Grands Prix but with little success.
While the new 011 was readied, the 010 served well into the 1981 season. Eddie Cheever scored points on four occasions in the first car. The second car was effectively offered to the highest bidder, with Kevin Cogan and Ricardo Zunino given early outings. Tyrrell eventually settled on a young Italian named Michele Alboreto from the San Marino Grand Prix. Backed by Imola Ceramica, he made his Formula 1 debut with Tyrrell. Struggling to get up to speed in the ageing car, his best result was twelfth in Belgium. Fortunately, he made enough of an impression on Ken Tyrrell and was retained for the next two seasons before joining Ferrari in 1984.
The Tyrrell 010 was retired after the 1981 Austrian Grand Prix and superseded by the 011. Although not the most successful Tyrrell Formula 1 car, the 010 was nevertheless very competitive, more so than the results suggest, and its potential is being realised today with multiple historic racing victories.
Gifted directly by Ken Tyrrell to his former star driver, Michele Alboreto, this car with chassis stamp Tyrrell 010/2 stood proudly and undisturbed for many years on a display plinth inside the Alboreto family home in Italy. It remained in situ until long after the Italian driver’s tragic and untimely passing while testing for the Audi sportscar team.
In 2015, the vendor acquired the car directly from Alboreto's widow. The accompanying materials include photographs and a touching video showing the car inside the family home before being carefully disassembled for its removal.
The car was then returned to the UK, where it was restored by British specialists CGA Racing (later known as Front Row Racing) in preparation for a return to competitive life in historic motor sport with our vendor.
In a fitting tribute to Alboreto and his family, the car was adorned with the Imola Ceramica/Tyrrell livery used during the Italian's Formula 1 debut at San Marino, and has since raced with considerable success in the Masters Racing Legends and the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, with second-place finishes in the principality from both the 2021 and 2022 events.
According to period records*, Tyrrell 010/2 was used extensively during the 1980 and ’81 seasons. Wearing the iconic colours of appliance manufacturer Candy in 1980 and driven by prominent Irish racer Derek Daly, the records list 8th, 9th, and 11th-place finishes in Long Beach, Zolder, and Paul Ricard, respectively, in addition to a superb 4th in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch.
For the 1981 season, 010/2 was reportedly used for a further four grand prix, with Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever and Argentinian Ricardo Zuninho sharing the car. After a 7th-place finish for Cheever in Kylami and 13th for Zuninho in Argentina, Cheever matched the previous best result with another 4th place in the British Grand Prix, this time held at Silverstone.
Being the first Grand Prix car he ever raced, the Tyrrell 010 held a special spot in the heart of the Italian star, Michele Alboreto, and his spell at Tyrrell launched what became a highly successful Formula 1 career.
Having scored two wins with the British squad, including the very last for the Ford Cosworth DFV engine at the 1983 Detroit Grand Prix, the popular Italian moved to Ferrari in 1984 and remained with the legendary Scuderia until 1988. His three victories from this period make him the last Italian to mount the top step of a Grand Prix podium in a Ferrari.
Following his spell in Formula 1, Alboreto had a successful sports car career, which included a 24 Hours of Le Mans win in 1997 for Porsche, and victory with Audi in the 2001 Sebring 12 Hours. Tragically, the much-loved Italian suffered a fatal accident when his Audi R8 had a catastrophic tyre failure while testing during the 2001 season.
Throughout his illustrious career, Alboreto retained the Tyrrell 010 gifted to him by his former team boss and proudly displayed it in his house where it remained until long after his tragic passing.
*Sources:
Grand Prix 1980 by Ulrich Schwab
https://www.oldracingcars.com/tyrrell/010/2
- Offered in race-ready condition and suitably prepared for its participation in the upcoming 2024 Monaco Historic Grand Prix, for which its entry has been accepted
- A full crack-testing process has been completed in January 2024, with the next one due in January 2026.
- Accompanied by valid FIA HTP papers, which expire in December 2026
- The Cosworth DFV engine is 624 km (32,3%) into its recommended 1,930 km rebuild interval (last rebuild conducted by British DFV specialist T-Max)
- The Hewland gearbox is 1,778 km (74%) into the 2,400 km rebuild interval of its crown-wheel & pinion
- The fuel cell certification is valid and requires recertification in February 2028
- The seat belts expire in Dec 2026
- The fire extinguisher expires in Nov 2025
- Masters Racing Legends
- Monaco Historic Grand Prix (Race F - Gilles Villeneuve - for 3.0 litre F1 Grand Prix cars, from 1977 to 1980, Class 2 - for cars designed to exploit the ground effect, equipped with a Ford-Cosworth DFV engine)
- Monterey Motorsports Reunion
The car is accompanied by a useful spares package comprising of spare sets of wheels, front and rear wing assemblies, suspension parts, gearbox internals, and more. Full details are available on request.

Film

Sam Says

“With an extensive history, charming provenance, and proven podium-finishing capabilities in Masters Racing Legends and the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, this car really ticks the boxes. Like many, I believe racing a Formula One car at Monaco to be perhaps the most exhilarating driving experience on the planet - if you harbour any ambitions to experience it for yourself, this is an excellent chance. Don’t miss it!”

Gallery

Tyrrell 010/2 on display in the Alboreto family home in Italy where it was proudly displayed for many years since being gifted by Ken Tyrrell to Michele Alboreto. It had to be carefully disassembled for removal when our vendor purchased the car in 2015.