UNDER THE HAMMER: Nigel Mansell’s Ducati 1989 906 Paso

Silverstone Auctions is offering the chance to get your hands on a rare piece of motorcycling (and motorsport) history – auctioning off F1 driver Nigel Mansell’s 1989 Ducati 906 Paso on January 12th at the Autosport International Sale during the Birmingham Racing Car Show.

The Ducati Paso 750 was first introduced in 1986 to honour Italian motorcycle racer, Renzo Pasolini (nicknamed Step) who died on the 20th May 1973 in an accident at Monza during the Italian Grand Prix. In 1989, the 906 Paso was introduced to replace the 750, with a six-speed gearbox, a 904 cc engine providing 88bhp and at 140mph top speed, and for the first time ever, water-cooling.

The Paso 906 was a significant bike for Ducati, their first to really aim at a slice of the mass market dominated by the Japanese. But despite that, the bike received a fairly cool reception from road testers and buyers alike – it was just too different from the old Ducati’s for the hard-core fans of the Italian brand, and wasn’t innovative enough to tempt riders from other manufacturers.

First registered to British F1 Champion Nigel Mansell on 8th October 1991, at his home on the Isle of Man – the 1989 Ducati Paso 906 that’s up for auction looks to be in tip top shape, with only 22,000km on the clocks. It’s completely standard, and includes manuals, invoices and a certificate that the previous owner was Nigel Mansell – and it’s even been signed by the man himself.

The estimated sale is between £5,000 and £6,000 pounds – which although is more expensive than other 906 Paso’s on the market, seems like a fair price to pay considering its rich history in the hands of one of the biggest names in British F1 racing history. To take a look at the Silverstone Auctions website, and check out the lot, click HERE.