Nigel Mansell’s Ducati 906 Paso up for auction

Bruno Gomes

December 15, 2018

Car racers often have a love affair with motorcycles, and that’s exactly the case of famous British Formula1 driver Nigel Mansell, who, when driving for Ferrari F1 team in 1989, received from Ferrari a very special gift: The Ducati 906 Paso. This bike will now be available during the Autosport International Sale auction, in England, for a guideline price of RM31.617 .

A recent example of this two-wheel passion is the test Lewis Hamilton did with World Superbike team PATA Yamaha at Jerez.

Yes, this bike isn’t exactly the kind of beauty that the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is used to show us, and it would take them years after presenting the Paso (the 750 cc arrived in 1986 and the 904 cc in 1989) before Ducati would actually show us what is still considered to be one of the best looking bike of all times: The 916.

Still, the 906 Paso is considered to be an important mark for the Ducati brand. First, its name was given to honour brave Italian motorcycle racer Renzo Pasolini, nicknamed “Paso”, who died in an accident during the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit in 1973.

Then, the Paso also gets more important for Ducati because the 906 variant is the first model with which Ducati aimed directly at the big Japanese manufacturers that dominated racing and the market at the time. Believing in the two-cylinder engine, Ducati introduced water cooling to the 904 cc unit, and power went up to 88 hp, while at the same time the 906 Paso also got a new six-speed gearbox for increased top speed.

However, the fully integrated bodywork finished in traditional Fire-engine Red, designed by Massimo Tamburini himself, was what made the 906 Paso stand out from the crowd. And that’s what made Nigel Mansell fall in love with her.

When visiting the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Mansell saw a brand-new Ducati 906 Paso at the car park, and said that he really would love to have that bike. Three weeks later, as explained by Nigel Mansell in his autobiography, Ferrari delivered at his house in Isle of Man, a brand-new red Ducati 906 Paso!

Now, this very same unit of the Paso that was once owned by Nigel Mansell, is up for grabs at the Autosport International Sale auction hat will be held on January 12th.

This specific Ducati 906 Paso is in mint condition with just 22.000 km on the clock, all original brochures and handbooks, an export certificate of the Isle of Man government stating that this was Nigel Mansell motorcycle registered for the first time in 1991, and it’s also delivered with the rear seat cover signed by the former F1 driver.

March 2019 marks thirty years since Nigel Mansell’s first win for Enzo Ferrari in the stunningly beautiful Ferrari 640 F1 car at the Brazilian Grand Prix and this anniversary is sure to be recognized, a perfect opportunity to celebrate the win with a ride out on ‘Il Leone’s’ own two-wheeled Italian.