Niki Lauda’s Nürburgring crash helmet is up for sale with Bonhams|Cars

The great Austrian was on lap two of the race when he suffered a serious crash in his Ferrari 312T2 which saw the car burst into flames. This helmet, which is now up for sale with a valuation of between $50,000-$60,000, was flung from Lauda’s head from the force of the impact, leaving him prone in the cockpit.

He was rescued and ultimately saved by fellow drivers including Arturo Merzario, who pulled Lauda from the stricken Ferrari and away to safety. Lauda’s injuries were almost fatal, but after receiving the last rites in hospital, he recovered and returned to the Formula 1 paddock just 42 days later for the Italian Grand Prix.

His performance on that weekend to finish fourth in the race would go down as one of the bravest and most heroic in the history of F1. He went on to win his second world championship a year later to complete one of the great motorsport comebacks.

This particularly important piece of F1 memorabilia is just one of several crash helmets set to go under the hammer in Miami. Each worn by Ferrari drivers, the helmets of Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Gilles Villeneuve, Jean Alesi, Eddie Irvine and Gerhard Berger will also be up for sale. We’re fairly certain the temptation to have all of these on display together is going to be tough to ignore.

A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the Niki Lauda helmet will be donated to UNICEF by Bonhams|Cars, the Miami Auction begins on Saturday 4^th May at 20:00 EDT.