James Hunt's 1977 McLaren M26 F1 Racer Fetches $1.2 Million

Ron Howard's recently released hit movie Rush, based on the epic 1977 Formula One champion battle between John Hunt and Niki Lauda has refreshed many memories from the era.

It also provided the right opportunity to put up for auction, the McLaren M26 F1 single seat racer that James Hunt drove to his final F1 victory at the 1977 Japanese Grand Prix.

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At the RKMCCA auction in Charlotte, North Carolina the famous Formula One car was sold for a price of $1.2 million. It was the first time ever the M26 F1 racer was put up for sale and was expected to fetch as much as $1.8 million.

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The McLaren M26 F1 was the successor to the 1976 M23 which James Hunt drove. The M26 was powered by a 3.0 liter Cosworth DFV V8 engine capable of generating 525 HP, redlining at 10,600 rpm. The all aluminum F1 racer could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and could achieve a top speed of 313 km/h.