The McLaren F1 Has Become The Most Valuable Car Sold At Auction
Image: Gooding & Company
In 2021, the McLaren F1 has become the most valuable car sold at auction. Because of its rarity and place in automotive history, the car became the most expensive car auctioned last year, as well as the most expensive McLaren F1 ever sold. It was sold at Pebble Beach for $20.5 million. Gordon Murray, one of the greatest automotive engineers of all time, designed the McLaren F1. The F1’s engine, a 6.1-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine developed and built by BMW, is one of the reasons for its popularity.
Image: Gooding & Company
The development of the BMW V12 is a fascinating story in and of itself. Murray didn’t have enough money to develop his own F1 engine, so he hired some of the best engine builders in the world to do it for him. Murray had a list of engine requirements and wasn’t willing to compromise on any of them. He went to Honda, but the company turned him down, so he turned to Paul Rosche at BMW M, a friend of Murray’s, who accepted the challenge. The engine had to be a V12, naturally aspirated, with at least 100 horsepower per litre and high revs, according to the specifications. The BMW M team was able to check all of Murray’s boxes, and the free-breathing V12 engine they created was hailed as a masterpiece and one of the best engines ever built.
Image: Gooding & Company
Many consider the F1 to be the first hypercar, and only 106 were built between 1992 and 1998, making it one of the most valuable automobiles in the world. This particular example has only 243 miles on its V12 engine and is finished in Creighton Brown paint with an elegant light brown and tan interior. The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will be a treat if you’re interested in learning more about hypercars. “Hypercars: The Allure of the Extreme,” a two-part exhibit at the museum, is currently on display. The first part of the exhibit, which features a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 and a McLaren Speedtail, is open until September 22. From September 17, 2022, to May 14, 2023, the second part will take place.