On 30 November, RM Sotheby’s will join the Formula 1 circus at the glamorous Yas Marina circuit in the United Arab Emirates to offer a small but incredibly high-quality selection of collector cars. Arguably of the most interest to diehard Formula 1 enthusiasts is the brace of top-flight single-seaters raced by the seven-times World Champion Michael Schumacher: the 1992 Benetton B192 and the 2002 Ferrari F2002. 

While the handful of strong results driving the former, including a podium finishes at Hockenheim and Monza, sowed the early seeds of success, Schumacher actually clinched his fifth world championship in the scarlet Ferrari a mere decade later. Chassis 219 was driven by both Schumacher and his teammate Rubens Barrichello throughout the 2002 season, although it was the German maestro’s win at the French Grand Prix that sealed him the title with six rounds remaining. An über-significant piece of motorsport history, the car will be handed over at Ferrari’s hallowed Fiorano circuit in Maranello following an engine and gearbox rebuild commissioned at the cost of the current owner. Christmas presents don’t come any more special. 

Elsewhere in the sale there’s an incredible selection of predominantly younger collector cars, spearheaded by the wild 2017 Pagani Zonda Aether, a car we had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand last summer in Lugano. Of the raft of special Porsches offered, we’d be hard pushed to choose between the ultra-rare 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8 and the ‘as-new’ 2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport, the latter of which is finished in a superbly executed Rothmans livery akin to the illustrious Works Group C prototypes from the 1980s. 

The fully-functional 2015 Jaguar C-X75 that starred prominently in the James Bond thriller Spectre will no doubt pique the interest of film buffs around the world, while the 2011 Aston Martin One-77 that will be sold without reserve to benefit an African wildlife charity should command a healthy sum. 

Our favourite car from the catalogue could well be the least valuable of the lot, but that’s not the point. How good does the 1997 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta look finished in Verde Mugello over ‘traditional’ beige leather? What’s more, it’s a manual car that’s covered just 22,000km from new and presents as such. We’d go as far as to say that the sleek Pininfarina design is among the very best to come out of the 1990s – it’s simply beautiful. 

Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s © 2019