Friday 20th December 2013

McLaren F1 GTR goes to auction

Need a new track day toy for next year? Gooding & Co. has just the thing

---

It's been a week for notable auction cars in the days before Christmas, what with an NSX driven by Senna and the Escort RS1800 used by the McRaes being sold now or soon. But this McLaren F1 GTR Longtail is surely something else again.

It will be sold by Gooding & Co at its Scottsdale auction in January. They were the same auction house that sold the roadgoing F1 earlier this year for $8.47m, making the $5-$7m estimate attached to this car look like pocket money. Nearly.

The Fina liveried (doesn't it still look great?) chassis 21R was driven by JJ Lehto and Steve Soper in the 1997 FIA GT Championship. It won at Hockenheim and Helsinki but this particular car didn't race at Le Mans. It comes from a private collection and has been restored by McLaren. Prepped and ready to go for the 2014 track day season then...

See here for a video from the 1997 GT series. Keep a look out for Soper in this GTR about 40 seconds in.

 

[Source: The Supercar Kids, Gooding & Co]

[Schermerhorn]

Massive want.

Those CLK GTR's look pretty tasty too.

[UltimaCH]

I'll be playing Euromillion this week

[bencollins]

Those other cars were "some bloke sat ins" this one is the real deal collector wise, i.e used in anger to win races.

[vescaegg]

Am I right in thinking a PH'er has a road version of one of these (andy something?). Ive seen one driving on the M23 I think believe it was the same one.

Didnt realise they were worth this much nowadays!

[storminnorman]

90's GT cars were just immense

[samoan attorney]

If I recall Helsinki correctly, JJ took pole and in the process broke both wing mirrors, it was an awesome event.

[Dr Bunsen]

That Merc looks like it wants to take of again at 1:04 !

[chevronb37]

We went to Silverstone and Donington for the FIA GT rounds in 1997. The S'stone round was a wash-out. My dad and I huddled under a brolley on the infield at Becketts for three hours. In the end Peter Kox won with Roberto Ravaglia in #23R. By enormous coincidence I bumped into the very same car at the Canadian Mont Tremblant circuit in 2011. It belongs to Lawrence Stroll now and lives a busy life - that guy loves his cars and loves to drive his cars. It was amazing to see the car again after 14 years, and an unexpected surprise.

This is a shot my dad took of #21R at Donington in 1997. We watched part of the race from the grandstand above the pitlane. At the time we were staggered by the sheer professionalism of the Mercedes pit crews. They were servicing two cars at once during the race. It was very evident that GT racing had changed from the series we first saw as the BPR in 1995 at Donington.

I dearly hope somebody buys #21R to actually use it. There's no point in these magnificent cars gathering dust - they should be used. And used hard.



More photos from that event here: http://www.motorcardiaries.co.uk/2012/fia-gt-1997/

[g3org3y]

*checks bank details*



I bought the model (#9) though!

Edited by g3org3y on Friday 20th December 16:36

[Roo]

vescaegg said:

Am I right in thinking a PH'er has a road version of one of these (andy something?). Ive seen one driving on the M23 I think believe it was the same one.

Didnt realise they were worth this much nowadays!

And a normal one, amongst others.

[Dave Hedgehog]

storminnorman said:

90's GT cars were just immense

proper cars, proper racing

[996jim]

Just the thing to get rid of those post Christmas blues, yes please.

[Henry Fiddleton]

Good times the late 90's for Gt racing. Saying that, its equally as cool today!

This, the Speed 12 and the Lotus Esprite spring to mind as personal favourites

(FiA and British GT).

[exocet ape]

Notice the Lotus Cortina in the same sale.

Wonder if it is the same one which appeared on Fast and Loud?

[wtdoom]

Does anyone know the technical reasons why long tails can not be made road legal ?

[Dakkon]

So, any ideas what this will go for?

[stew-S160]

Porn. Simple, glorious, pure porn.

[Davey S2]

I'd rather a regular road going F1

[The Leaper]

chevronb37,

I was also at Donnington in 1997, in the grandstand above the pits. I agree all you say about the Mercedes pit crew. It was a great day, although the weather was rather bleak and foggy at the start as I recall.

R.

[m444ttb]

I had a BIG poster of this on my wall as a teenager. Picked it up on the BMW stand at the London motor show and signed by several drivers in return for a donation to charity. I dread to think what this will make at auction.