1995 McLaren F1 5
1995 McLaren F1 5

Pay day for McLaren sports car

Riley Riley

 

You might think $2 million is a lot to pay for a car.

That’s the record price that was paid for a 1972 Ford XA Falcon GTHO Phase IV three years ago.

That’s certainly an impressive figure, especially for an Australian-built car — one that started life as a family sedan.

But that figure pale in comparison to the $20,465,000 US dollars that a time capsule Mclaren sports car attracted this week at Pebble Beach in California.

In case you don’t have a calculator handy, that’s $27.7 million Aussie dollars.

The McLaren F1 is considered one of the first modern super cars and is credited with reviving the McLaren racing and car brand.

With less than 390km on its odometer, this spectacular example was sold in its ‘as delivered’ state and surpassed the previous record for a McLaren F1 road car of $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 $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 tyres.

It also 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 a stunning one-off color, named Creighton Brown, after one of the executives who was instrumental in establishing the fledgling McLaren Cars company.

This distinctive exterior is complemented by a Light Tan and Dark Brown leather upholstery inside the three-seater cockpit.

Just 106 of the iconic three-seater, V12-engined F1 road cars were produced between 1992 and 1998, with just 64 being completed to original road car specification.

To this day it remains the fastest naturally aspirated production car, with a top speed of 386km/h – helping to cement its status as one of the most desirable of all collector cars.

“We were incredibly proud to present this exceptional McLaren F1, and tonight, the market confirmed the sheer prowess of this unparalleled supercar from one of the most legendary names in motoring,” Gooding & Company’s David Gooding said.

“This sale was a historic moment not only for Gooding & Company, but for the McLaren legacy and the entire industry as a whole.”

In case you’re wondering, the highest figure ever paid for a car was in 2018, for a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO — which went for $48,405,000 US . . . $65.7 million Australian.

Interestingly, of the top 10 prices paid for cars — seven have been for Ferraris.

 

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