by Mike Gulett –
RM Sotheby’s is selling this McLaren F1 through their Sotheby’s Sealed process during Monterey Car Week. This means it will not go across the regular auction block but is being offered for sale by sealed bids.
I wonder if this method will land a higher price for the seller compared to the open auction process. I also wonder how RM Sotheby’s selects cars to be sold with this sealed bid process instead of the normal auction process.
Another McLaren F1 sold at the Gooding auction last year in Pebble Beach for $20,465,000.
Will this RM Sotheby’s example, and selling method, beat that Gooding price? The Gooding example had a unique color (brown vs silver) and very low miles on the odometer compared to this one at RM Sotheby’s.
We will know in about 4 days. Or will we? I do not know if RM Sotheby’s will share the results of their sealed bid process.
1998 McLaren F1
RM Sotheby’s writes,
– Arguably the greatest automobile of the 20th century, considered as one of the ‘big three’ performance car icons alongside the Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 and the Ferrari 250 GTO
– Unique within F1 road-car production, boasting factory-installed revised and improved headlights
– A ‘fresh to market’ example, unseen for the last decade
– Spectacular example with just two owners and less than 16,400 mi from new
– One of 64 road cars built; amongst the last produced
– Offered from the Pinnacle Portfolio Collection
– Chassis No. – SA9AB5AC1V1048059
– Engine No. – 61121 6057 1283
Of note, it is advised that 059 will require recommissioning and we welcome interested parties to contact us directly for further information on its overall status.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
Photos compliments of RM Sotheby’s.
Well with “factory-installed revised and improved headlights” who can resist?