A unique ‘time capsule’ McLaren F1 road car set a record auction price of US$20.465 million at Gooding & Company’s August 2021 Pebble Beach Auctions.
With less than 390 kilometres (243 miles) on its odometer, the vehicle was sold in its ‘as delivered’ state and surpassed the previous record for a McLare
1995 McLaren F1 road car. Photo: courtesy McLaren.
n F1 road car of US$15.62 million set in 2017.
Only an example that had been converted at the McLaren Special Operations Woking factory to ultra-rare LM specification has come close in the recent past, selling for US$19.8 million in 2019.
Chassis 029, which has rarely been seen in public, having spent most of its existence hidden away in a private Japanese collection, attracted spirited bidding as it crossed the Gooding & Company auction block in Monterey. Carefully maintained and rarely driven, the car was in pristine and original condition down to its date coded Goodyear Eagle F1 tires and came complete with its original FACOM tool chest, fitted luggage, titanium tool kit, official Driving Ambition book, and special TAG Heuer watch.
This 1995 model was the 25th road car built and the only one finished in one-off Crieghton Brown colour, named after one of the executives who was instrumental in establishing the fledgling McLaren Cars company. The distinctive exterior is complemented by a Light Tan and Dark Brown leather upholstery inside its three-seater cockpit.
Just 106 of the iconic three-seater, V-12-engined F1 road cars were produced between 1992 and 1998, with just 64 being completed to original road car specification. Currently, it remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car with a top speed of 386 kilometres per hour—helping to cement its status as one of the most desirable of all collector cars.