Richard Hammond Is Selling Four Cars From His Personal Collection at Race Retro

Richard Hammond is clearing out four cars from his personal collection at Iconic Auctioneers’ Collectors’ Car Sale during the Race Retro Show on Feb. 21 at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, and several of them have TV history attached that goes well beyond a famous name on the paperwork.

A 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 With Competition Pedigree

The headline car is a recently restored 1979 Ford Escort RS2000 Mk2, refinished in Ford Midnight Blue after brake refurbishment and full mechanical servicing. Supplied new in the UK, it comes with an extensive history file and has seen limited use under Hammond’s ownership, including a run at the 2025 VSCC Pomeroy Trophy. It carries a pre-sale estimate of £25,000 to £30,000.

A Genuinely Rare Prewar Riley

The Riley 14/6 Alpine Sports Tourer is the rarest thing in the lineup, a correct example of the prewar model fitted with period-correct upgrades including triple bronze-bodied carburetors, 10-inch headlamps, and a four-speed gearbox. Hammond bought it in 2019 and has kept it in regular running order, driving it locally rather than leaving it parked as a static collector’s piece. It’s estimated at £18,000 to £24,000.

The MG B GT Race Car From “Richard Hammond’s Workshop”

This one has the most direct television connection: an MG B GT converted from a road car into a race car during Series 2 of “Richard Hammond’s Workshop,” now running a 131-bhp Rick Wood Motorsport engine. It’s raced across four seasons between 2022 and 2025 and was recently freshened up for continued competition use, carrying an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000. For a buyer who wants a car with documented build history and an actual competition record rather than a garage queen, this is arguably the most usable car in the group.

“Stanley,” the £1,500 MINI That Became a 304-BHP Track Car

The most interesting build story belongs to “Stanley,” a 2006 MINI Cooper S originally purchased for just £1,500 and rebuilt with more than £20,000 in parts after an engine failure. It now runs a Lohen-built 1.8-liter engine producing 304 bhp, along with drivetrain upgrades and a full roll cage, and has appeared in multiple DriveTribe videos as well as the 2025 VSCC Pomeroy Trophy. It’s the cheapest lot of the four, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000, despite arguably carrying the most invested development work relative to its starting price.

What Buyers Are Really Paying For

All four cars go under the hammer Feb. 21 alongside the rest of Iconic Auctioneers’ catalog at Race Retro. For collectors, the appeal here isn’t just Hammond’s name on the consignment list. It’s that each car has a documented, usable history: raced, rallied, or driven rather than stored, which tends to matter more to serious buyers than celebrity provenance alone.

About the Author

Eve Nowell

Administrator

Eve Nowell writes about cars for Backfire News, and she comes by it honestly—she grew up in a racing family, around engines and pit lanes before she was old enough to drive. That world isn't a beat she picked up; it's just where she's always been. At Backfire News she covers off-roading, classic car culture, motorsports, and the people behind the machines. She writes with the enthusiasm of someone who genuinely loves this stuff, but she's a stickler for getting the details right—the kind of writing that holds up with actual gearheads. She's still early in her career and building her own voice, bringing a fresh take to a world she's known her whole life. Her work runs across racing coverage, truck and off-road culture, collector vehicles, and the wider lifestyle that comes with all of it. When she's not writing, she's usually trackside, out in the garage, or chasing down the next story worth telling.

View All Posts