Founded in 1969 by Max Mosley, Alan Rees, Graham Coaker, and Robin Herd with the acronym MARCH derived from their initials the British outfit established itself as one of the most prolific teams in motorsport history. The March 871 embodies the manufacturer’s ambitious return to Formula 1, coinciding with the dawn of the new naturally aspirated era.

Featuring a carbon-fiber monocoque and powered by a 3.5L Ford Cosworth V8, this single-seater holds significant historical importance: it was among the first to benefit from the aerodynamic developments of Adrian Newey.

This specific chassis, No. 03, was campaigned by Ivan Capelli at the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix, sporting the iconic "Leyton Blue" livery.

Having undergone a complete restoration and now track-ready, this stunning March F1 represents a rare opportunity to acquire an 1980s icon.

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The March 871 is part of a great lineage of March F1 cars

Founded in 1969 by Max Mosley, Alan Rees, Graham Coaker, and Robin Herd—the letter "A" was added to link their initials and form the acronym MARCH—the British team is one of the most prolific in the history of motor racing. In its very first F1 season in 1970, March fielded five cars on the grid, and Jackie Stewart took victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, only the brand's second race. March secured third place in the Constructors' Championship in its debut season, finishing behind Lotus and Ferrari.

The 1971 711, with its elliptical front wing designed by Frank Costin, remains one of the most distinctive creations of the decade. The spirited Ronnie Peterson achieved numerous feats in it, finishing as World Championship runner-up. Simultaneously, March expanded as a chassis supplier for F2, F3, and Formula Ford, training an entire generation of drivers; Niki Lauda, Jean-Pierre Jarier, and Hans-Joachim Stuck notably cut their teeth with the brand. Ronnie Peterson secured the brand's third and final Grand Prix victory at Monza in 1976.

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By late 1977, financial instability led the owners to withdraw from F1, though they continued operations in other disciplines. In 1981, the F1 department was relaunched at the request of British entrepreneur John McDonald, founder of the RAM team. However, over three seasons, the March F1 cars failed to score a single point and suffered a string of non-qualifications. It was a fiasco. At the end of 1983, March shifted its focus to the CART championship and the fledgling F3000 championship, where the brand excelled immediately: Christian Danner took the title in 1985, Ivan Capelli in 1986, and Stefano Modena in 1987. These successes, combined with the planned phase-out of turbos in F1, reignited ambitions in Bicester. All that was missing was a backer to return to the top. This would materialize with the 871!

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The Leyton Blue Adventure

To understand the 871, one must look at the Leyton House brand. Akira Akagi's real estate company, founded in 1981 as Marusho Kosan, took full advantage of the 1980s Japanese speculative bubble: land, it was said at the time, could only go up in value. Akagi began sponsoring the racing world, initially under his company names, until an employee pointed out that Japanese characters were not ideal on a race car for international reach. It was at the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans that the "Leyton House" logo first appeared on the Toyota 85C. The signature blue that would become "Leyton Blue" was not yet born but arrived the following year. A clothing line followed, capitalizing on this color that had become iconic in the Japanese paddock.

In 1986, Akagi formed his own team and entered cars in several Japanese championships. It was during this period of rapid expansion that Hiroshi Yasukawa, Bridgestone's F3000 manager, introduced Ivan Capelli—then racing for Cesare Gariboldi's Genoa Racing—to the famous Akira Akagi, whose driver Akira Hagiwara had just died in an accident. He was looking for a driver to finish the Japanese F2 season.

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Capelli accepted and joined the Leyton House team. Financial terms initially caused a misunderstanding: Akagi intended to keep 60% of the prize money, leaving 40% to the driver. In his first race in Japan, Capelli took pole and finished second. Before returning to Europe, the team visited Akagi's office in Tokyo, where a stuffed envelope awaited. Capelli opened it and counted: there was much more than 40% inside. He returned the difference. "A deal is a deal."

This gesture changed everything. Akagi realized he was dealing with a man of integrity. Cesare Gariboldi then secured Leyton House funds to complete the European F3000 championship. The team returned to Japan for the final race. Another visit to the Tokyo office followed. This time, Akagi offered Capelli $200,000 to contest the 1987 Japanese F2 championship. Capelli refused; he was in talks with several F1 teams.

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Akagi reflected. He began asking Gariboldi about the cost of sponsoring the sidepods, engine cover, or rear wing of Capelli's car if he moved to F1. He wanted to be a sponsor in the premier discipline and follow Capelli. Then he asked: "Let’s make it simpler. How much for you to go to Formula 1?" Gariboldi suggested four million dollars, including the engine. Akagi turned to Capelli: "Do you want to do F1? Are you ready?" Capelli nodded, somewhat incredulous. "O.K. We are in F1!"

Back in Italy, it was Cesare Gariboldi who flew to England to meet Robin Herd, the boss of March. March, which possessed the infrastructure, expertise, and network, was precisely seeking a partner to return to F1. The circle was complete.

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The March 871: A Pure F1 Car for the New Naturally Aspirated Era

The March 871 was designed by Gordon Coppuck (formerly of McLaren and responsible for the M16 and M23) based on a carbon fiber monocoque. It featured double-wishbone suspension and pull-rod actuators at all four corners, a March six-speed gearbox, and Goodyear tires. The chosen engine was the Ford Cosworth DFZ, a 3,500 cc naturally aspirated version developed for the new regulations.

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This is exactly where the strategic interest of the 871 lay. In 1987, the penultimate year of coexistence between turbos and naturally aspirated engines before the return to all-atmospheric in 1989, non-turbocharged teams competed in a "championship within a championship": the Jim Clark Trophy for drivers and the Colin Chapman Trophy for constructors. Capelli summarized the stakes bluntly: "Our naturally aspirated Cosworth V8 gave up 200 horsepower to the turbos. The performance gap was such that Bernie Ecclestone had created the Jim Clark Cup for atmo engines."

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The 1987 Season: A Gradual Rise

The March 871 made its debut at San Marino, after the March 87P—an adapted F3000 chassis—had been used as a stopgap in Brazil. The early races were grueling: only one chassis was available, and the Ford Cosworth DFZ engine prepared by Heini Mader suffered from poor reliability. This forced the team to use a 3,300 cc Ford Cosworth DFL—an endurance racing engine—during the San Marino and Monaco events due to a lack of spare DFZ units. Records suggest this engine was fitted during practice, a unique case in F1 history.

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Monaco, the fifth Grand Prix, changed the tone. Starting 19th on the grid, Capelli snatched a 6th-place finish in the streets of the Principality: the first World Championship point for March's return.

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In August 1987, Adrian Newey—then Mario Andretti’s race engineer in IndyCar at Newman-Haas Racing—joined March to prepare the 881 and improve the 871. His flexible contract allowed him to gradually reduce his IndyCar commitments. Robin Herd had been his mentor since his early days; the return was natural. On the 871, Newey modified the sidepods, the rear wing, and overhauled the baseline setup. Qualifying times improved significantly.

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From the Italian Grand Prix onwards, the Brian Hart-prepared DFZ replaced the Mader unit. Reliability improved. The 871 could finally express its potential. Akagi would later summarize the first half of the season with disarming frankness: "It was chaos. We would cheer the car on, saying 'hold on, hold on,' rather than looking at times or positions."

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Chassis 3 (871-03): The Japanese Entry, Witness to a Pivotal Era

The third chassis of the March 871 was completed in the week preceding the Portuguese Grand Prix. It joined the team in Japan—the penultimate round—initially as a spare car before becoming the primary entry starting from Saturday’s qualifying.

The 1987 Japanese Grand Prix was a pivotal race in F1 history: Nelson Piquet was crowned World Champion for the third time, while Nigel Mansell saw his title hopes vanish after a violent qualifying crash. It was also one of the final direct confrontations between the major turbo teams in their maximum configuration, as regulations would impose boost pressure limits in 1988 before the total disappearance of turbos in 1989. 871-03 raced in this transitional context at Suzuka, in front of Akagi's home crowd.

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Chassis 3 also served as the bridge to what followed. Using the lessons accumulated throughout the season, Newey would design the March 881. The comparison between the two machines is striking: while the 871 was a balanced and drivable F1 car, the 881 pushed aerodynamics to the extreme. Capelli remembers it with a mix of admiration and irony: "It was a very narrow and very uncomfortable car to drive. I had to contort myself just to slide into the cockpit. The steering wheel was only 25 cm in diameter! Aero was an obsession for Adrian." The 871, by contrast, still left some room for the driver and was less radical.

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Complete Restoration and Return to the Track

This March 871-03 has undergone a complete restoration. Its engine was entrusted to Ellegi Motori, and it was recently tested in Italy. It is offered for sale with a selection of original spare parts.

Available for viewing by appointment.