The most expensive McLaren sold at Monterey auction

The McLaren F1 was auctioned off at Pebble Beach on Friday night for $ 20.5 million, demonstrating the continued strength of the classic car market.

Gooding & Co. auctioned off a rare McLaren F1 to an enthusiastic audience, exceeding its estimate by at least $ 15 million. The F1 car, one of the most sought-after collector’s cars for its rarity and stature in automotive history, became the most expensive car auctioned this year and the most expensive McLaren F1 ever sold .

The sale provided proof that after a hiatus in expensive car auctions during the coronavirus pandemic, sales of seven- and eight-figure cars are still particularly strong.

Combined auto insurer Hagerty said: “The same enthusiasm in the lower price categories also appears to be present at the higher levels.”

Sales are so far up at Monterey Car Week in California – which includes numerous auctions and deals, as well as the so-called Concours d’Elegance, whose deals are up 34% from the same period in 2019, exceeding $ 210 million. , according to Hagerty.

The McLaren F1 was the undisputed star of the week, and collectors and auction houses were closely watching its selling price as a benchmark for the market, with F1 being one of the first modern supercars.

McLaren has only built around 100 Formula 1 cars, so they are rarely auctioned off and collectors around the world eagerly await their sale.

With a huge 6 liter V-12 engine producing over 600 horsepower, it had a top speed of 240 mph and was billed as the “first Formula 1 road car”.

The official price of the McLaren F1 car when it was launched in the mid-1990s typically ranged from $ 800,000 to $ 1 million. While many scoffed at the high price tag back then, F1’s high value makes it one of the best-performing cars of all time when it comes to price.

The F1 car auctioned on Friday was particularly valuable, having driven just 241 miles, making it a car stuck in a “time capsule”. It is not known who made the winning bid.