The First McLaren F1 To See The US Has Just Sold For Over $15 Million

With so many high-end auctions taking place at Monterrey in California over the weekend it’s no surprise that we overlooked a couple of lots. No matter, because we’re bringing you right up to speed with this very special – and very expensive – 1995 McLaren F1.

Chassis #044 is a one-owner car and is the very first ever to be imported to the US. That sort of thing matters when it’s being sold for the first time in 22 years. It was the 37th production-spec car to leave the factory and isn’t necessarily the most striking F1 in its Base Silver paint and its black-on-silver minimalist interior, but it has a great story behind it.

The owner flew to the UK to collect the car from the factory in Woking, and then, with two friends, set out on a European road trip across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, racking up over 4000 miles. Now, with 9,600 miles on the odometer, this F1 has the twin advantages of low mileage and a history with some adventure to speak of.

That might go some way to explaining the price tag it claimed at the Bonhams auction last Friday. The hammer fell at a hefty $15,620,000 including the auctioneers’ cut, which is a little over £12 million. For that the buyer gets the original tool kit, luggage set, the original Auto Glym detailing kit, mechanic’s gloves, car cover, wristwatch and assorted books and manuals. It’s also completely standard, as it was built in 1995.

After getting back from its road trip the car was then serviced by McLaren at Woking before being shipped to the American East Coast, where it was added to a collection but still driven from time to time. It was converted to full US road-legal spec, but nothing was altered in any way that couldn’t be put back to UK factory standard. In fact, the car was returned to its original configuration for the sale, but all the US-specific mods were included with it.

We’d love to say we’d cobbled together enough investment to have bought it on behalf of the CT community, but we’d be lying, most likely while weeping softly over our keyboards. We just hope the new owner keeps using it as McLaren intended.