Barry Sheene's Goodwood soapbox car for sale

13 July 2018

News image — Barry Sheene was the 1976 and 1977 500cc world champion who survived two major crashes - one in 1975 and the other seven years later

Getty Images Barry Sheene with Madeleine Stringer (left) and Cindy Miller (right) in 1977 — Barry Sheene was the 1976 and 1977 500cc world champion who survived two major crashes - one in 1975 and the other seven years later

A carbon fibre soapbox racing car driven by motorcycling legend Barry Sheene is to be sold at auction.

Sheene swapped his usual two wheels for four to take part in the soapbox racing challenge at the 2000 Goodwood Festival of Speed, near Chichester.

Participating vehicles had to cost no more than £1,000.

Auto engineering company Cosworth built the car for Sheene and it will be sold at its headquarters in Northampton on 19 July.

H&I Auctions/Cosworth Barry Sheene’s Cosworth Racing soapbox car — The race rules stated participating vehicles could not weigh more than 165kg (26st), including the weight of the driver

H&I Auctions/Cosworth Barry Sheene in Cosworth soapbox car, 2000 — This photograph of Sheene in the vehicle will be auctioned as part of the lot

It was Goodwood's first-ever soapbox race and the motorcyclist competed against 24 other drivers.

H&I Auctions, which will run the auction, expect the vehicle to sell for "at least four, if not five figures", but the company has not set an estimate.

Sheene won 19 races and two world championships during his 11-year 500cc Grand Prix career, which ended in 1984.

He defied death twice after two major crashes that could have ended his career.

After emigrating to Australia, he died of cancer aged 52 in 2003.

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