The original owner of the very first 1995 McLaren F1 in the United States has parted with his incredible supercar for $15.62 million at Bonhams auction on Friday. That is the most anyone has ever paid for a McLaren with the previous record belonging to a 1998 F1 LM-Specification that sold for $13.75 million in Monterey in 2015.
The one that just sold is Chassis 044 and it’s one of seven F1s that have been converted and federalized for legal street use in the US. The conversion bits have since been removed, but they were included in the auction.
It’s in fantastic condition and has been meticulously maintained with the most recent service record being just a month old. All service has been documented since it was new and the car has 9,600 miles on the clock. According to the first owner, half of the miles on the car are from a European road trip he took right after he bought it.
This beautiful machine is powered by a 627 horsepower BMW-sourced 6.1-liter V-12 which famously gives the car a top speed of 240 mph. It was the fastest production car in the world for over a decade. It has silver paint with a Connolly black/gray leather interior and one seat.
For $15.62 million, the new owner gets much more than just a legendary supercar. Also thrown in were a watch, a pair of mechanic’s gloves, an Autoglym detailing kit, the F1 luggage set, and of course, full documentation of the car. It’s just like when a guy on Craigslist is kind enough to throw in the service manual when he sells you a car.
Was this car worth the going price or would you rather have multiple modern supercars for that kind of money?