1984 Ralt RT30 F3

This lovely retro Ralt F3 RT30 was built in 1984 by Mario Andretti for his Italian race team Marco Racing (named after his recently born son, we understand), who first raced it in the Italian F3 race of the same year. Chassis number 30:532, the car was then sold to Leyton House Racing at some point to be used in Formula 3 racing over here in the UK. While the car does come with some lap times from Silverstone, the owner hasn’t been able to identify the driver. (That little piece of detective work might make for a very pleasant winter’s hobby, eh?)

The car was then sold to a collector in Antwerp, where it was kept prepared and ready to race before returning to the UK.

The Ralt’s Ford 2-litre CVH engine has been fitted with upgraded camshafts, flywheel and pulleys, plus ported pistons and twin Dellorto carburettors that feed into a high-performance exhaust system. This relatively low state of tune provides a good level of performance but keeps the car very cost effective to run and hugely reliable.

The engine is mated to a proper Hewland gearbox that was built by none other than Mark Bailey Racing Limited. As you can see from the video, the car starts and runs well.

It comes with the original plans for both the car and the gearbox, so tracking down, or even getting spares made in the event they aren’t available off-the-shelf, should be fairly straightforward.

It also comes with a single-axle Bateson trailer to ferry it around, plus a set of spare wheels and tyres, a tyre stand, some tools and a few spare parts.

The blue paintwork is in a good condition but you do have to remember that this is a working, competition car and so the fit and finish is focused more on competing reliably than on winning a concours competition.

So, while you’ll find quick-release bodywork, a decent paint finish, and the compelling Leyton House/Intercontinental livery you’ll also find the odd chip and crack in the paint, plus a few other scuffs and signs of wear that are all part-and-parcel of owning and running a proper racing car.

The wheels are good but the slick Avon racing tyres that are currently fitted to them have been well-used and will need replacing. That’s okay though, because the car comes with two sets of spare wheels and tyres, one for wet weather and one for dry tracks.

The interior is as focussed as that of the exterior – but if it wasn’t then it wouldn’t really be a racing car, would it?

With that reality check out of the way we can report that the infamous plywood floor appears solid, and the interior controls have been neatly labelled.

The dashboard instruments comprise a RaceTech combined oil pressure and temperature gauge to the left of the Elliot rev counter, and a RaceTech water temperature gauge to the right.

It is also fitted with an electrical cut-off switch, plus a three-spoke Momo steering wheel, brake bias valve, competition roll cage, and a TRS racing harness.

The mechanical components look to be well-maintained and in a workmanlike condition; as you can see from the attached video, the Ralt’s 2-litre Ford CVH engine starts on the button and revs freely, making a very nice noise into the bargain, possibly thanks to its Ducati ‘Termignoni’ performance silencer!

However, given the nature of the car we would strongly urge potential bidders to take a look at it in person in order to gauge their condition prior to setting a budget for bidding.

The Ralt also comes with some technical drawings, build sheets and plans plus a large quantity of paperwork. There’s so much that it’s probably best to contact the owner and arrange to go and read them at your leisure; he’s a lovely chap, and could probably be persuaded to pop the kettle on while you are there.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

This is a lovely period racing car package that would be ideal for either the Formula 3 enthusiast looking to race in an historic F3 championship, or for the speed freak looking for a highly competitive car for hillclimbing.

As a time-proven design, it is as effective now as it was in period and the RT30 offers everything the competitive driver to compete successfully in historic motorsport bar the obligatory racing driver excuses.

As to price, we think it will sell for between £12,500 and £20,000, which is great value when you consider the racing package you are buying, and the history you will become part of.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen with its owner in St Albans; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings of any auction, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles we have for sale. While we use our trade experience to assess every car that comes through our hands (and between us we have bought hundreds of classic cars over the years for our personal use…) we are fallible, and our assessment of a car may contrast with that you might form yourself.

This is why we offer a far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange a professional inspection on their behalf of, each vehicle prior to bidding than any traditional car auction, and we will never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this by coming to see it in person.

That said, we do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or those formed as a result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.