Before the Bugatti Veyron, there was the McLaren F1. The pinnacle of automotive innovation during the 1990s, the F1 was designed to be the perfect driver’s car, and it was. Its body was crafted from carbon fiber, and like true royalty, its engine bay was lined in gold. The F1’s influence is still felt 25 years later; in fact it’s still one of the fastest cars in the world.
Just 64 street-legal examples of the F1 were built, and perhaps the best-preserved example on the planet — car number 60 — is currently for sale in Derbyshire, England. Listed by classic car purveyor Tom Hartley Jr., this Dandelion Yellow F1 has just 149 miles on its odometer, a number McLaren confirms as the distance covered during the predelivery test. In other words, it’s effectively unused. The vehicle has never been registered, and it still wears its factory protective wrapping. This is as mint as it gets, folks.
It gets better, though. This F1 includes all of its original assets, including the leather-lined owner’s manual, gold-plated titanium tools, luggage set, and the commemorative Tag Heuer watch with the chassis number engraved on its face. As for the car itself, it was ordered with a special GTR-style steering wheel, a carbon fiber driver’s seat, and the ultimate collector’s ornament — the hand-painted signature of famed F1 designer Gordon Murray.
The asking price hasn’t been made public, but given the vehicle’s condition, it’s expected to shatter the previous F1 sales record of $15.62 million. That car had 9,600 miles on the odometer, and for all intents and purposes, this one is brand spanking new. Did we mention it features a 627-horsepower V12 and a top speed of 241 mph?
If you can’t get your hands on this pristine legend, fear not because McLaren is developing a spiritual successor. Dubbed the BP23 (short for Bespoke Project 2 with three seats), the supercar will mimic the F1’s race car-like seat layout and will also be quite rare, with just 106 units planned. Like McLaren’s range-topping P1, the BP23 will feature a tuned hybrid powertrain that’s expected to make it the fastest McLaren ever. Given the brand’s legendary lineup, that’s really saying something.
