For Sale: Eurobrun ER189

By Marcel Hundscheid of Speed-O-Graphica

Images by Officina Caira

This Eurobrun ER189 Formula 1 car was built and raced by EuroBrun during the 1988 Formula 1 season and is one of just three ER188 chassis built during the partnership between Euroracing and Brun. It’s up for sale at Officina Caira.

EuroBrun Racing was the result of a merger in 1987 between Giampaolo Pavanello’s Euroracing team from Italy and Walter Brun’s sportscar team from Switzerland. Pavanello operated Euroracing from the ’70s initially in the Italian Formula 3 Championship. Pavanello won the European F3 Championship with Michele Alboreto (1980), Mauro Baldi (1981) and Oscar Larrauri in 1982.

Between 1983 and 1985 Euroracing was responsible for the Formula 1 involvement of Alfa Romeo. Unlike their Formula 3 involvement, they were unsuccessful in Formula 1. When Alfa Romeo left Formula 1 at the end of 1985, Euroracing returned to Formula 3, followed by a year in Formula 3000.

Swiss entrepreneur Walter Brun’s main business during the ’70s was gaming machines, but he had a strong passion for motor sports. In 1983 he created Brun Motorsport, participating in sports car and endurance races. Brun Motorsport grabbed the World Sportscar Championship team title in 1986. After winning the title Brun’s previous sponsors pushed the team into Formula 1.

As Brun’s workshop was unable to develop their own Formula 1 chassis, he contacted Formula 3 chassis builder Reynard during the spring of 1987. Reynard did not have the funding for the additional construction of a Formula 1 chassis, so Argentine racing driver Oscar Larrauri established contact between Brun and Pavanello. Larrauri was in search for a Formula 1 cockpit and knew both Pavanello from Formula 3 and Brun from sports car racing.

Brun and Pavanello founded EuroBrun Racing in September 1987 based in Senago near Milan in Italy, each holding 50% of the shares. Pavanello was responsible for the technical side of the team, while Brun acted as the commercial manager.

Italian-based Officina Caira has this unique Eurobrun ER189 T-01 for sale. This car was developed by George Ryton for the 1989 Formula 1 season and powered by a 3.5 liter Judd V8 engine. Swiss driver Gregor Foitek debuted the car at the 1989 British Grand Prix held in Silverstone, but was unable to qualify the ER189 on the grid.

ER189 T-01 is for sale at a price of € 145.000 and available as a complete running car, fitted with an original steering wheel. The 3496 cc Judd EV engine has to be revised, the EuroBrun 6-speed manual gear box has 0 kilometers on it. Spare parts to come with this car include a set of racing wheels, a set of transport wheels, as well as a starter and heater.

More information about this unique Formula 1 car can be found at the Officina Caira website here.