Here’s the chance you’ve been waiting for, an as-new, criminally underused 1995 McLaren F1 in one-off Creighton Brown being sold by sealed bid between 13 and 16 May.
Auction house RM Sotheby’s is conducting the sale and reckons bidding could top $20 million for one of the lowest-mileage (410km / 254miles) F1s of the 64 road cars built.
Of course the F1 is the unicorn car for any A-list collector and the calling card of choice of the cognoscenti, but it’s a crying shame that it has also become one those cars that were created to be the pinnacle of driving yet stasis makes them the peak of investment (with prices rising a million bucks a year after their initial dip).
The engine is a BMW 6.1-litre V12 and the carbonfibre monocoque was not quite as revolutionary as was trumpeted at the time (Jaguar’s XJR-15 got there first), but the F1 remains a masterpiece, the most singular, focused driver’s machine ever dreamed up, a clean sheet of paper design that can never be repeated. A road car that could win Le Mans, in detuned form! In a perfect world, that alone, rather than its admittedly extraordinary investment potential is why it would be coveted.
Shelby Myers, head of private sales at RM Sotheby’s, said: ‘Often dubbed “the modern-day Ferrari 250 GTO”, very few assets have experienced the value appreciation seen in the McLaren, drawing comparisons to timeless artwork showcased in the world’s most renowned museums. It’s not just a vehicle; it’s a masterpiece.’
This example comes with all the trimmings, including custom-fitted luggage tailored to match the car’s interior upholstery, a FACOM tool chest, a tool roll, and a one-off matching TAG Heuer watch made for the McLaren F1 inscribed with the car’s chassis number.
It also comes with three pedals, a steering wheel and gearstick and we would dearly love to see the next owner use them a bit more than they have been to date!
