The McLaren F1 remains one of the top supercars every created in what's now being dubbed the "analogue period." Think of cars like the Ferrari F40, Jaguar XJ220 and the Porsche Carrera GT. They can all be summed up as follows: manual transmission, limited technology and intervention, and not easy to pilot.
BUT when you get the hang of it, they can be a real treat.
Now the car up for grabs is a bit more unique than your road-going McLaren F1. That's because this is a "Longtail" version that actually raced in the FIA GT championship where it did quite well — podium finishes in four out of the five races. As expected in a race-focused car, the vehicle has been lightened over the road-going vehicle and features a sequential shifting transmission.
This should be an interesting auction to watch as this will be the first time an F1 is on the auction block since the P1 became available. The last F1 that hit the circuit sold for nearly $8.5 million dollars and was a road-going version. Estimates currently place this vehicle in the $5-7 million dollar range.
Gooding & Company's Scottsdale auction takes place on January 17 and 18.
Some fast facts about the McLaren F1, chassis 021R via Gooding & Co.:
- The Ultimate Development of the McLaren F1
- The Most Successful BMW Team Car in Private Hands
- Primarily Driven by the Top Pairing of JJ Lehto and Steve Soper
- Overall Winner at Hockenheim and Helsinki
- Four Podium Finishes in Five FIA GT Championship Races
- Restored by McLaren and Maintained by Marque Specialist Lanzante Ltd.
- Outstanding Unbroken Provenance
- A Significant Piece of Motor Sport History
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