The car which Marcos Ambrose drove to his first NASCAR victory in 2008 has been added to the iconic race car auction to be concluded by Lloyds Auctions on March 25.
Ambrose drove the #59 STP Ford to victory in a Nationwide race at Watkins Glen International Raceway in 2008 and sat in storage in an old workshop in Charlotte North Carolina for more than a decade before being mechanically rebuilt and shipped to Australia.
Cosmetically it has not been touched and has every rub mark and dent from that incredible race, which was the first by any Australian in the top three tiers of NASCAR competition.
The car has made several public appearances and has been run at full noise at Queensland Raceway in the hands of Supercars ace and 2023 Thrifty Newcastle 500 Race 1 polesitter, Brodie Kostecki.
The car has created a lot of national and international interest since being placed on the market and the current bid on the car is $A96,000, but that is predicted to increase significantly in the next seven days.
The Ambrose car was the subject of an extensive Speedcafe.com gallery which shows every in and out angle of the car.
Other race cars in the auction include the Walkinshaw Andretti United Commodore which was driven to victory at the Bathurst 1000 in 2021 by Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth.
Built new for the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship season, chassis #WR026, completed every race of the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Mostert behind the wheel.
With 64 race starts, 23 podiums and eight race wins making this car one of the most successful cars of the modern Supercars era.
It is presented in the 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000-winning specification and livery and has a current bid of $A325,000.
Another car of note is the Vodafone Ford Falcon BF built for Craig Lowndes for the 2008 season and it has a current bid of $72,000.
There is also an ex-Jim Richards Targa Rally Porsche 944.
The Ambrose car is owned by Speedcafe.com founder and co-owner Brett ‘Crusher’ Murray, who currently has the car housed on display at the Gold Coast Motor Museum.
“The #59 STP Ford really is a cool piece of Australian motorsport history and I have been proud to have been the custodian of it for the last 15 years,” said Murray.
“Cars don’t come any more original than his, and as you can see by the videos we produced, it is still capable of running a full noise with the right person behind the wheel.
“It’s loud, it’s tough and is one of a kind.
“The fact that it comes in those famous STP Racing colours made so famous by Richard Petty provides that little bit more romance.”
The STP Ford has not been touched cosmetically since appearing in victory lane at the Zippo 200 and still has all the major bumps and bruises as well as the remaining windscreen tear-off strips that were unused during the race.
The car was rebuilt mechanically by a team of period experts in North Carolina which used all period-correct parts, including the Roush Yates Engine bits and it is now almost identical to the car that rolled into victory lane at Watkins Glen in August 2008.
There are even some Gatorade splash marks still on the roof and windscreen.
Ambrose has previously said he was pleased to see the car back in Australia and hoped it sold to a locally-based fan.
“It is great that the car has been held onto for all this time and that it has made its way back to Australia,” said Ambrose.
“I don’t get too emotional about this type of stuff, but it would be cool to have it remain in Australia because of its significance.
“It is quite amazing that the car looks as it did when we rolled it into victory lane.”
You can bid on any of the iconic race cars here:
https://www.lloydsonline.com.au/AuctionLots.aspx?smode=0&aid=38945&pgn=1&pgs=15
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