McLaren F1
Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Vehicles · Anglo-German Precision
McLaren F1 · 1992–1998
The McLaren F1 is a Gordon Murray-designed, carbon-fibre-monocoque road car built around a central driving seat and a 6.1-litre naturally aspirated BMW S70/2 V12, conceived without compromise on weight or engineering purity. Collectors prize it as the definitive analogue supercar: only 64 road cars built, a 240 mph production-car record that stood for years, and no turbos, traction control, or driver aids.
The one to have: A documented, matching-numbers road-spec F1 — one of the 64 standard cars with the naturally aspirated 6.1L BMW S70/2 V12, central driving seat, and factory OZ magnesium wheels, ideally low-mileage with full McLaren Special Operations heritage records. Factory options such as the High Downforce Kit, or a factory LM-spec upgrade, mark the ultimate examples, but a clean standard road F1 is the one to have.
Specification
Engine
6.1L V12
BMW S70/2, 60-degree naturally aspirated, 6,064 cc
Output
618 bhp
627 PS / 461 kW at 7,400 rpm; 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) at 5,600 rpm
Top speed
240.1 mph
386.4 km/h; production-car record set 1998 by prototype XP5
Built
64 road cars
106 F1s total 1992–1998; 6-speed manual, carbon monocoque
The market
Verified sales on file
5
Aug 2015 – Dec 2025
Median sale
$19.80M
all tracked results
★ Documented road-spec F1
$20.46M
median of 3 target-spec sales
Top result
$25.32M
RM Sotheby's · Dec 2025
Benchmarks: clean road F1 ~$18M – exceptional low-mile ~$22M – HDK / factory LM-spec $25M+ · Trend: firming; provenance and low miles lead, with a new $25.3M record set December 2025
Know the real one
Three-seat layout with the driver seated centrally and slightly forward, flanked by two rear-set passenger seats; it was the first production road car built around a carbon-fibre monocoque, and the BMW V12 engine bay is lined with gold foil as heat shielding.
106 F1s were built between 1992 and 1998: 64 standard road cars (F1), 5 F1 LM, 3 F1 GT, 28 F1 GTR racers, and five prototypes (XP1–XP5). Only the 64 road cars are the standard road-spec F1.
F1 GTR racers and later factory 'LM-spec' upgrades carry different aerodynamics and running gear; a genuine standard road F1 wears the naturally aspirated BMW S70/2 V12 and factory OZ magnesium wheels, and every car's build records are held and authenticated by McLaren Special Operations, so a documented chassis history is essential at this level.
The standard road F1 is the target; scarce factory options lift value, chiefly the High Downforce Kit (roughly eight cars) and LM-spec interior, while the two factory-upgraded LM-specification road cars (chassis 018 and 073, with GTR-derived engines) sit above the standard 64.
Verified sales · ★ = target spec · foreign results converted to USD as noted
| Date | Venue | Year | Spec | Miles | Price | Loc | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | RM Sotheby's | 1994 | Road F1, chassis 14, High Downforce Kit + LM interior ★ | 13,711 | $25,317,500 | — | Abu Dhabi sale; new McLaren F1 auction record. Originally delivered to the Brunei royal garage, later UK/US/Denmark; one of roughly eight HDK cars, rebuilt to spec in 2007. |
| Aug 2021 | Gooding & Company | 1995 | Standard road F1, chassis 029, Creighton Brown ★ | 242 | $20,465,000 | CA | Pebble Beach; first F1 to break $20M at public auction. The 25th road car built and the only one finished in Creighton Brown, a preserved time-capsule with full books and tool kits. |
| Aug 2019 | RM Sotheby's | 1994 | F1 'LM-Specification', chassis 018, Platinum Silver | 13,360 | $19,805,000 | CA | Monterey; then a marque record. One of two factory LM-spec road cars (GTR-derived engine, high-downforce package), maintained by McLaren Special Operations, approx 21,500 km. Above-target LM tier. |
| Aug 2017 | Bonhams | 1995 | Standard road F1, chassis 044 ★ | — | $15,620,000 | CA | Quail Lodge, Carmel; a marque auction record at the time. The first McLaren F1 imported to the US and among the first fully federalized US road-legal examples. |
| Aug 2015 | RM Sotheby's | 1998 | F1 'LM-Specification', chassis 073 | — | $13,750,000 | CA | Monterey; the second of the two factory LM-spec road-car upgrades. Above-target LM tier, included as a documented public benchmark given how rarely F1s trade openly. |
Where to hunt
Bring a Trailer — McLaren F1 resultsModel auction history and live listings
Classic.com — McLaren F1 marketAggregated sold prices and trend
Glenmarch — McLaren F1 resultsGlobal auction result database
Research file — market data verified through July 18, 2026.
Sources: individually observed results via Classic.com feeds, BaT, Cars & Bids, Mecum, RM Sotheby's,
Broad Arrow, Gooding, Collecting Cars, PCARMARKET and venue coverage, plus marque registries and factory press material.