This week saw the kick-off of Mecum Auctions’ 2011 running of its Original Spring Classic event in Indianapolis. It seems appropriate then that one of the featured lots is a former Indy 500 competitor from the stable of one of the Brickyard’s most noted competitors.
A.J. Foyt started 35 Indy 500s, and over a dozen of them were run with one of his own Coyote chassis cars, including the winning efforts in 1967 and 1977. Outside of the 500, Foyt made over 100 additional starts in Coyotes, winning 25 of those races. The Coyotes were powered by Ford’s four-cam Indy V-8, though Foyt referred to them as “Foyt V-8″ engines after he acquired Ford Motor Company’s remaining inventory of the race-dedicated V-8s.
This particular Coyote, being offered by Dana Mecum on Saturday, is the car driven by Donnie Allison in the 1971 500, who finished in sixth place with it; the following year, George Snider drove the same car to an 11th place finish. It’s been completely restored and currently wears the #14 Sheraton Thompson Special livery, which is what most fans associate with Foyt’s own Indy cars of the time. The car’s provenance should make it appealing to American racing fans, and it’s always interesting to see what collectors will pay for restored racing showpieces. For more information on the Coyote, visit www.mecum.com.