The Scot, who was one-off ’66 Indy 500 team-mates with his then-BRM colleague Graham Hill, had been first for 40 laps and had a sizeable lead when his Ford engine began to fail with ten tours to go. Hill nipped in to take the win while Stewart trailed home sixth.
The Scot would redeem himself later that year with victory at the Fuji 200 exhibition race, claiming the spoils with a 15sec margin over Bobby Unser. Hill entered that race too, finishing fifth.
Coming in second at the auction was AJ Foyt’s 1959 Kurtis-Epperly Offenhauser for $550,000 (£445,000). The seven-time IndyCar champion campaigned the car during his first title-winning season, using it at three events.
The car signalled the start of a successful but tempestuous relationship with renowned 500 engineer George Bignotti.
Another US legend saw one of his former cars cross the gavel, Mario Andretti’s race-winning Lola T700 going for $275,000 (£225,000).
Andretti took victories in 1983 at Road America and Las Vegas in the car, running for Hollywood star Paul Newman’s Newman/Haas squad.
Andretti’s Lola sold for $275,000
Kissimmee 2025
A car perhaps closer to Andretti’s heart also went under the hammer: a Lola T86-00 which he used to win his ‘home’ race, the 1986 Pocono 500.
Pocono, once part of IndyCar’s ‘Triple Crown’ which also included Indianapolis and either Ontario, Michigan or Auto Club Speedway, is situated at Long Pond, close to Andretti’s Pennsylvania home.
Also sold was Janet Guthrie’s Lola T500, which she used to become the first ever woman to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1977, as well as Rodger Ward’s 1963 Watson Offenhauser and a 1958 Kurtis Kraft 500H.
For the full details of Kissimmee’s 2025 auction, click here.