McLaren F1 sells for record price: US$8.47 million

The McLaren F1 is one of the greatest cars ever made. This one, chassis 066, sold for a record price at the Pebble Beach auctions on the weekend. And that price was US$8.47 million. What global recession!

The auction was held by Gooding & Company and a quick glance over the online catalogue from the sale is truly mouth watering. Of the McLaren F1 they said:

The F1 is not the typical overweight hyper-car, nor is it a bare-bones, kidney-jarring track toy; rather it is a lithe, beautifully engineered jewel of a car that is just as capable on a closed circuit as it is on crowded city streets. Were it not for its unique center-seat layout and drop-jawed onlookers, one might easily forget that they are piloting one of the most extreme high-performance automobiles ever produced. Professional racing drivers have remarked that it is a true enthusiast’s car – lightweight, nimble, balanced, and refined.

It has been just over 20 years since the F1 was introduced to the public and more than a decade since the last example was produced. In that time there have been many attempts to overtake the McLaren. Some may have gone faster, been more audacious, had a more dramatic combination of letters and numbers in their title, yet none has ever come close to stealing the F1’s status as the king of the modern supercar.

Of chassis 066 Gooding & Company share a bit about car’s history, which started life as a daily driver for German businessman Thomas Groth. After 12 years of ownership he sold the car back to McLaren. In 2009 it was imported to a buyer in the United States and it has remained in the same hands since:

Today, 066 remains an outstandingly original example. Unlike many F1s, 066 is not known to have been damaged or repainted in its 16 years. With the exception of the factory-renewed interior and regular servicing, the major surfaces and components are believed to be original. Showing roughly 13,900 miles, the F1 has accumulated an average of 875 miles per year since new. Used as its designers had intended, 066 offers the mileage and maintenance in which one can find comfort of the car’s prowess without undue worry of enjoyment.

We wish!

[Source: Gooding & Company]