- The Magnesium Silver McLaren F1 was one of just seven officially imported to the States.
- Unlike most other F1s, the fuel bladders of this one have been replaced by aluminum tanks.
- Upgrades include aluminum tanks, new air conditioning, sports exhaust, and fresh tires.
What you’re looking at could soon become the most valuable McLaren F1 ever to cross an auction block. With a strikingly low mileage and a story that begins with one of Silicon Valley’s most high-profile figures, it might fetch over $23 million when it goes up for sale next month. Its estimated price reflects just how prized the British supercar has become in collector circles.
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Read: Inside A $70M McLaren Vault That’s About To Be Unlocked
This particular car is finished in Magnesium Silver and was originally delivered to Oracle founder Larry Ellison in August 1997. One of only seven officially imported to the United States, it spent more than a decade in Ellison’s hands, yet accumulated fewer than 2,600 miles during that time.
The F1 later changed ownership twice, first to a San Francisco collector, then to its current owner after a 2010 auction, and has remained in the Bay Area ever since. Even now, its odometer reads under than 6,500 miles (10,460 km).
Well-Preserved and Lightly Upgraded
Around 2012, the car was sent back to McLaren in the UK for a service and was fitted with new radiators and an upgraded air conditioning system. It also now features special aluminum fuel tanks and a sports exhaust while retaining the original owner’s manuals, luggage set, travel suitcase, car cover, service modem/laptop, and torque wrench.
A Pristine F1
RM Sotheby’s
RM Sotheby’s is handling the sale and notes that in October 2023, it was sent to McLaren Philadelphia, where the transmission was rebuilt, new tires were installed, and new spark plugs were fitted. Minor repairs were also made to the gold foil in the engine bay. More recently, the windshield was replaced with an original one from McLaren Special Operations.
Given how well the car has been maintained over the decades, it’s perhaps no surprise that it looks pretty much brand new. The exterior is pristine, and so is the interior, complete with all of the original materials and parts. However, as the car is being sold through RM Sotheby’s Sealed auction program, we may not know what the car ends up selling for.
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Either way, if you’ve got tens of millions burning a hole in your pocket, or just want to ogle Ellison’s old F1 like the rest of us, check out the listing here and pretend you’re bidding from the deck of your yacht.
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