Nigel Mansell is unloading this bizarre three-wheel race car

04 April 2022

It is well known that Nigel Mansell enjoys his hobbies as much as the next person. Hand him a set of golf clubs and he’ll take home trophies, even going so far as to gain an entry to the Australian Open in 1988. Kit him out with a karate gi and before you know it he’ll have earned a black belt. But when it comes to driving for pleasure, few could have imagined that the 1992 Formula 1 World Champion would indulge himself with an oddity like the iC Modulo.

Yet sure enough, Mansell has owned the three-wheeled Modulo since 1992, and with nearly 3200 km (1980 miles) on the clock the former F1 driver has clearly found time to take it for weekend drives—perhaps with his beloved golf clubs on the tandem-type back seat.

1989 Ferrari 640 F1 car — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

1991 Williams FW14 — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

Mansell pictured with his Ferrari and Williams in 2018. London Classic Car Show

The Modulo is being sold by Mansell as he clears out a number of cars from his personal collection. They include a race-winning 1989 Ferrari 640 F1 car and the very same, 1991 Williams FW14 that Mansell drove to victory at the British Grand Prix—famously giving Ayrton Senna a ride back to the pits after taking the checkered flag.

The Modulo was created by Carlo Lamattina, a former Alfa Romeo engineer who formed iC (Italian Cars) and took it upon himself to change the perception of three-wheelers being unfashionable and boring to drive. It goes without saying that history shows such attempts were generally unsuccessful.

1990 iC Modulo M89 front — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

1990 iC Modulo M89 rear three-quarter — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

1990 iC Modulo M89 side — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

All credit to Lamattina, however, as he knew a PR opportunity when he saw one. During the weekend of the 1992 Italian Grand Prix, the engineer presented the first Modulo to Mansell, who subsequently moved it to his personal car collection housed in Jersey, where is has been ever since.

What would Mansell, family, and friends have experienced when getting behind the wheel of this strange-looking creation, which looks like the lovechild of a Lamborghini Diablo, BMW motorbike, and homemade bumper car?

The first-generation of the Modulo is powered by a 750cc, injected and water-cooled BMW K75S engine and paired with a BMW five-speed manual gearbox. Housing the BMW drivetrain is a box-type welded steel chassis, clothed with a carbon-fiber and Kevlar-reinforced polyester body. There are disc brakes, independent front suspension and a rack-and-pinion steering box.

1990 iC Modulo M89 interior cockpit — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

1990 iC Modulo M89 engine — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

1990 iC Modulo M89 interior pedals — RM Sotheby's/Tom Gidden

All in, the iC Modulo reportedly weighs less than 400 kilograms (882 pounds), and with a 74-hp engine could reach 125 mph—assuming you had the guts in such an unusual-looking projectile. Who knows if even Mansell himself was brave enough during those decades of ownership.

The Modulo is being offered for sale without reserve, during RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction in May. Whoever buys it will pay significantly less than it would cost to buy one of Mansell’s GP-winning F1 cars, but they will have to have the Modulo recommissioned, given that it has been sitting for some time.

Perhaps Ol’ Nige was too busy playing golf to get behind the wheel?

Via Hagerty UK

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