Ayrton Senna's greatest 'treasure' for sale: the car in which he made his Formula 1 debut

The world's most avid car collectors have suddenly been put on 'alert' once it was announced that the single-seater with which Ayrton Senna made his Formula 1 debut is to be auctioned.

This is the Toleman TG183B with chassis number 05. And although at first glance it may seem like just another car from the 1980s grid, its importance is paramount in the history of motorsport because it is linked to the beginning of one of the best drivers of all time.

To understand the value of this Toleman, we have to go back to 1984. Senna was then 23 years old and was already a huge promise. He had just dominated British Formula 3, where he had won the first nine races, and that display made teams such as McLaren, Williams and Brabham interested in him... but none of them offered him a seat immediately.

Toleman gave him the opportunity

That's where Toleman came in, a team that was small compared to the giants of the time, but with sufficient ambition to gamble on a talent that was already on the verge of becoming a legend. Senna signed with them and that's where his legend began.

The debut came at home, in the Brazilian Grand Prix. That first day was more about learning than glory, because the car gave up very early on due to a mechanical failure. But in the following races the car began to make its mark in the hands of the young Brazilian. With this same car he achieved a sixth place and his first points in the World Championship in South Africa. He also achieved that position in Belgium. Some might describe these results as modest, but in reality they were enormous achievements when you consider the level of the car and the team.

Only 600 HP

The Toleman TG183B was the work of engineer Rory Byrne and attracted attention for unusual details such as its radiator mounted on the front wing or its double rear wing. Under the hood, a 1.5-liter turbocharged Hart engine delivered around 600 hp, rising to around 640 in qualifying. That was very little considering that the Brabham BMWs produced around 800 hp in race trim and 1,000 hp in qualifying. But compensating for this shortcoming, the Toleman's Hart engine was very light and compact, which gave the car enormous agility in corners.

That car only contested four races with Senna before being replaced by the Toleman TG184, a more advanced model with which the Brazilian would dazzle the world by achieving a second place on the wet asphalt of Monaco. However, its role was forever etched in history. It was the first chapter in a career that would end with three world titles, 41 victories and an indelible mark on Formula 1.

Three decades in private hands

Over time, the car went its own way. It remained in the hands of the team for years before crossing the Atlantic in the 1990s. It later returned to the UK and ended up in the hands of a collector who acquired it in 2017

Far from being locked away in a garage, this single-seater has remained very much alive. In 2022 it was the subject of a documentary by Sky Sports F1, where it was back on track with Martin Brundle at the wheel. Two years later, in 2024, driver Pierre Gasly also drove it at Silverstone in a tribute to the memory of Ayrton Senna 30 years after his death.

Ready to run

The car is in exceptional condition. It retains original parts, such as the gear lever, and even curious details such as the inscription "Aryton" misspelled on the footrest. Under its bodywork it still mounts a Hart 415T engine from the period, although it is not the original engine but another identical one. And to make everything work better, it has undergone an intensive overhaul that has included a complete rebuild of the transmission.

In addition, it has something that makes it even more special: it can compete again, because it is homologated for historic events such as the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, which opens the door to see it back on track with whoever is lucky enough to become its new owner.

The auction by RM Sotheby's will take place in Monaco, one of the venues most closely associated with Senna, during the month of May. Experts expect the price to be between 2.8 and 3.8 million euros, a figure that many will consider low given what the car represents.