1994 Minardi M194 Ford
£ POA
One of Minardi’s most successful Formula 1 cars and simply perfect for the plethora of exciting new events that celebrate this halcyon era of grand prix racing.
OverviewConceived by legendary designer, Aldo Costa, the beautiful M194 was an evolution of the previous season’s M193 and became one of the most successful Minardis of all time. Driven by Pierluigi Martini in twelve Formula 1 Grand Prix, chassis 05’s impressive record includes fifth place finishes in both France and Spain.
Recently restored by leading specialists and accompanied by a large spares package, the naturally-aspirated, Cosworth V8-powered machine is track-ready and perfect for the high-speed, high-profile demonstrations taking place in 2022, including: Goodwood Members Meeting, Silverstone Classic, Peter Auto, French Historic Grand Prix, Dubai Historic and many, many more.
BackgroundAfter a hugely successful season in 1993 in which the plucky Faenza-based squad accumulated enough points to secure eighth position in the constructor's championship, Giancarlo Minardi decided to secure his company's financial future by selling a significant equity stake to Italian industrialist, Beppe Lucchini (whose corporate logos you can see on the side of the car).
Invigorated by the welcome investment, a stand-out design team of Aldo Costa and Gustav Brunner, alongside aerodynamicist Rene Hilhorst, developed their potent M193 to M193B specification for the start of the 1994 season and retained the reliable and fuel-efficient Ford HB V8 power plant.
Pierluigi Martini was retained for another season and joined in the sister car by former Ferrari driver, Michele Alboreto who took sixth and fifth places in Monte Carlo and Spain respectively, before the new M194 made its debut in Canada for the sixth round of the world championship.
The M194 retained the same carbon-fibre monocoque of the M193 and M193B, but incorporated all of the aerodynamic modifications required by the regulation changes following the tragic accidents in Imola earlier in the season. The updated design did not take long to make an impression with Martini finishing in a superb fifth place in France behind Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Sauber having started from 16th on the grid.
By the eleventh round of the season, held in Spa Francorchamps, both Alboreto and Martini's 6-speed sequential gearboxes had been updated from lever to semi-automatic, electro-hydraulic operation via paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.
By season's end, Minardi had accumulated seven top-ten finishes from sixteen races en route to 10th overall in the Constructor's Championship.
Not only only had the beautiful M193/194 propelled Minardi to some of their greatest achievements, but it also launched the career of its then youthful chief designer, Aldo Costa, who went on to become one of the most highly sought after designers in Formula 1, and amass eleven Constructors World Championships from his tenures at Ferrari and Mercedes.
Pierluigi Martini, Minardi M193/5, 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix
CHASSIS M193/5As witnessed by its original chassis plate, mounted to the top of the monocoque, the car offered here started life as M193, chassis 5, and made it's grand prix debut in M193B specification at round five of the 1994 World Championship in Spain, where Pierluigi Martini secured a superb fifth place finish having qualified 18th.
Two-races later, and with the car now upgraded to M194 specification, Martini repeated the feat with the aforementioned fifth place finish in France.
In total M193/194 chassis 05 contested twelve Formula 1 grand prix, piloted in all by Martini. In addition to the two fifth place highlights, the car claimed three further top-ten finishes.
Purchased directly from Minardi by its first private owner, the car remained unused until being sold to our vendor two years ago who commissioned a thorough and stunning restoration from leading specialists in the UK, before enjoying it in a variety of high-speed demonstration events last year.
Accompanied by a vast spares package and offered in fully rebuilt, track-ready condition, this exquisite piece of Formula 1 history is suitable for the rapidly expanding schedule of high profile demonstration events being created to celebrate this most cherished era of Formula 1.
Eligibility(all demonstrations, not races)
Goodwood Members Meeting, 9th-10th April
Peter Auto “Grand Prix de l’Age d’Or” - Dijon-Prenois, France, 3rd-5th June 2022 (4 x 25min demo)
Ignition GP at the French Historic Grand Prix meeting at Paul Ricard, 17th-19th June
Ignition GP Secret Meet, Donington, 5th July
Ignition GP at Silverstone Classic, 26th-28th August
Historic Minardi Days, Imola, 27th-28th August
Dubai Grand Prix Revival, 25th-27th November
Additional Ignition GP member only track days (dates to be announced)
Sam Says“Clearly, this is a growing sector of the historic racing scene and I for one couldn’t be happier. The clean lines and perfect proportions of this era are seeing the cars age beautifully and, as we move toward an inevitably electric future, the sensory explosion of a screaming eight, ten, or twelve cylinder, naturally-aspirated, grand prix engine has been brought sharply into focus and treasured accordingly. Momentum for the sector is therefore gathering fast as collectors wake up to the vast appeal of these spectacular machines. Two years ago, the only opportunities to enjoy such cars were private track days organised outside of owners’ regular historic racing calendar. Now, there are at least half-a-dozen, high-profile, demonstration events taking place during well-established race meetings. For those already contesting these events with their other cars, the chance to also enjoy seat time in such life-affirming machinery as this will surely be too good to miss.”
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Video
Full sales presentation featuring period footage and spectacular onboard.
Join our vendor onboard his sensational Minardi M194 at Donington Park.
Pierluigi Martini & Michele Alboreto test the M194 at Imola in 1994.
ViewingsThe car is located at our showroom in Petersfield, UK and viewings by appointment are warmly encouraged. If you are unable to travel, video viewings can be organised.
images: Tim Scott, Peter Nygaard/Grand Prix Photo