This Ascari FGT prototype has a surprisingly reasonable auction estimate

The gloriously green, pop-up headlight-equipped sports car you’re looking at above is the one and only Ascari FGT prototype. It’s about to head up for auction at the RM Sotheby’s London sale too, so let’s throw it back to the start of its life to understand why this one-off exists…

Before Noble Automotive was born in 1999, the company’s eponymous founder Lee ran Noble Motorsport. They made the Ascari FGT concept, as well as this prototype and a race car that competed in the British GT Championship when Dutchman Klaas Zwart bought the rights to Ascari and wanted to go racing.

The FGT would later become the production Ascari Ecosse – although without the pop-up headlights. Boo.

This prototype was registered for road use in 1993 and was used by Ascari as a promotional and press car. However, it was recently discovered lying in a barn where it’d hid for 13 years. The current owner has brought it back to life with the help of Noble, with the 6.0-litre Chevrolet V8 getting a full rebuild and a new ECU to produce around 420bhp. 

The gearbox was also rebuilt and a whole heap of components were replaced to get the FGT back on the road, but when it goes up for auction this weekend the estimate will be between £60,000 and £80,000. Bit of a bargain for the first car to bear the Ascari name, no?

Images: RM Sotheby's