Posted June 7, 2020 by f1nut in Diecast models

What are recent F1 world champions (diecast) cars worth?

Typically diecast models of world championship winning cars (along with the random unusual or limited run cars e.g. Haas VF16 Grosjean Minichamps) retain or increase in value – collectors all know Senna, Schumacher, Lauda, Mansell, Prost cars consistently fetch good prices. Does the same apply for recent world champions though? I analysed some past ebay sales to get some clues of notable career cars (note: these are only indicative values)…

Lewis Hamilton

2008 McLaren Mercedes MP4/23 1:18 scale – £275-400
2008 McLaren Mercedes MP4/23 1:43 scale – £50+
2014 Mercedes W05 1:18 scale – USD290
2014 Mercedes W05 1:43 scale – £165
2015 Mercedes W06 1:18 scale – £300
2015 Mercedes W06 1:43 scale – €160
2017 Mercedes W08 1:18 scale – £220
2017 Mercedes W08 1:43 scale – £90+
2018 Mercedes W09 1:43 scale – £70+
2019 Mercedes W10 1:43 scale – £125+

Looking at recent resells of Lewis models, collectors definitely prize his 1:18 scale cars rather than 1:43s.His Mercedes championship cars still retain good value but we’ll need to see how they hold up when he retires. His 2008 McLaren MP4-23 still commands decent prices.

The aero crazy MP4-23 still gets good prices

Sebastian Vettel

2013 Red Bull RB9 1:18 scale – USD300
2013 Red Bull RB9 1:18 scale – €100
2012 Red Bull RB8 1:18 scale – €100
2012 Red Bull RB8 1:43 scale – £80
2011 Red Bull RB7 1:18 scale – €100
2010 Red Bull RB6 1:18 scale – €100
2008 Toro Rosso STR3 Monza 1:18 scale- €100
2008 Toro Rosso STR3 Monza 1:43 scale- USD60
2007 BMW Sauber F1.07 US GP 1:18 scale – USD50
2007 BMW Sauber F1.07 US GP 1:43 scale – €100

The prices of Seb’s Red Bull championship cars are pretty low key

Honestly, Seb Vettel Minichamps cars fetch relatively low prices considering he’s a 4 times world champion. Whether this is an indication of his popularity among collectors or with F1 fans generally is hard to tell. His maiden race car BMW Sauber used to fetch high prices due to its rarity but now the values have petered out (especially since Minichamps’ release of the BMW Sauber C24B Valencia test car). If you compare that to Senna Tolemann TG184 or Schumacher Jordan 191 values, there’s no contest.

You have to invest in a BBR or Looksmart Ferrari diecast though to retain any serious value for model cars that Seb has driven.

Kimi Räikkönen

2001 Sauber Petronas C20 1:18 scale – £240+
2001 Sauber Petronas C20 1:43 scale – £50-100
2003 McLaren Mercedes MP4/17D 1:43 scale – £60+
2005 McLaren MP4-20 1:18 scale – £200
2005 McLaren MP4-20 1:43 scale – £50+
2007 Ferrari F2007 1:18 scale – £80-100

Kimi’s F2007 Hotwheels prices are lower than his Sauber & McLaren diecasts

You have to admit that Kimi is ageless despite his years and his collector fanbase are still hardcore (you can still see the occasional crazy final sale price on some of his models). Marlboro liveried models of the F2007 generally fetch good prices and the Sauber C20 1:18 scales are seeing some good values lately. Like the Ferrari race cars for Fernando and Sebastian – the Looksmart, Autoart and BBR Ferraris prices are in a different league to Minichamps or Hotwheels models…these are more aimed at premium/serious collectors. That said, the Minichamps Alfa Romeo C38 1:18 looks awfully good and no doubt the Spark 1:18 C38 is equally as appealing.

Nico Rosberg

2016 Mercedes W07 1:18 scale – €140
2016 Mercedes W07 1:43 scale – USD70
2003 Dallara Mercedes F303 Macau 1:43 scale – €75

F3 cars are not completely low resale…

It’s safe to say that the diecast cars of Nico’s old man, Keke Rosberg has significantly more valuable than the prices for Nico’s Mercedes W07 championship car. The listed prices of Nico’s W07 Minichamps and Spark Mercedes are high but with many listings, the actual bid resale values are significantly lower and less in demand. You might even argue that had Lewis won the 2016 championship, the Mercedes W07 diecasts might be worth more due to Lewis’ bigger fanbase. The values of Nico’s Williams’ racecars (pre-Mercedes) also haven’t appreciated in value other than his F3 Macau car surprisingly!

Would the Minichamps W07 be worth more if Lewis had won 2016?

Let’s also not forget the other 2 recent world champs too…

Fernando Alonso

2001 Minardi PS01 1:43 scale – €40-45
2003 Renault R23 1:43 scale – £40
2003 Renault R24 1:43 scale – £40
2005 Renault R25 1:18 scale – £150
2005 Renault R25 1:43 scale – €50-85
2006 Renault R26 1:18 scale – €100
2006 Renault R26 1:43 scale – £70
2008 Renault R28 1:43 scale – US100
2015 McLaren MP4-30 1:18 scale – €140
2016 McLaren MP4-31 1:43 scale – £50-80
2017 McLaren MCL32 1:18- £200
2017 McLaren MCL32 1:43 scale (test)- £100
2018 McLaren MCL33 1:18 scale Abu Dhabi – £400
2018 McLaren MCL33 1:43 scale Abu Dhabi – £90-200

Fernando is an enigma – 2 times world champion who should have taken 1-2 championships from Vettel to be at least 3 or 4 times champion. His old Renault R25 and R26 models were never quite blockbuster sellers mainly because the 1:18 scales were licensed to Hot Wheels and build quality was sub-medium. The Renault 1:43 Minichamps however were decent sellers at the height of Fernando’s powers but like all diecasts from the 1995-2005 era, the values of these have dived over the years.

While Fernando’s frustrating stint at McLaren was a fizzer, the resale models of his McLaren MP4-30 and MCL33 are anything but…the limited edition runs and the nice aerodynamic lines of those cars are collector favourites and command high resale prices.

The diecast of Fernando’s farewell car is currently the most pricey…

Jenson Button

2007 Honda RA107 1:43 scale – €50
2008 Honda RA108 1:43 scale – £75-100
2009 Brawn GBP01 1:18 scale – £175
2009 Brawn GBP01 1:43 scale – €80
2014 McLaren MP4-29 1:43 scale – €50
2015 McLaren MP4-30 1:18 scale – £100
2016 McLaren MP4-31 1:43 scale – £50
2017 McLaren MCL32 1:43 scale – €55

There is no doubt the Brawn GBP01 2009 world championship car is the most valuable diecast of all of Jenson’s cars. The old radical liveried Earth Dreams Honda RA107 & RA108s used to be rare (and still are) but are less attractive now to collectors.