Thank you Erik. As one of the top authorities on the F1, which standard model do you believe is the most valuable/ desirable to collectors/owners? Would most unmolested cars be worth around the same figure? I'm assuming the Atkinson model would be lower due to prior incidents while the 'Flemke' car would also be less than normal because it's not standard. (I know these are hypothetical questions as I doubt either would sell)
Tougher questions to answer - I think different buyers are going to have different preferences. Some will want the lowest mileage car they can find, some will prefer one with the High Downforce Kit, some values will be influenced by the history of previous owners and that will play into the valuation. It does seem for quite a number of years that it is the sellers who have the upper hand in these negotiations as there appear to be more interested buyers than individuals who are willing to part with their cars. Originality hasn't seemed to carry the premium that many would think that it should with these cars, but that has been mainly because it is the factory actually performing most or all modifications to it, and they will continue to do so for any future buyer. Buy yourself whichever F1 you'd like and for a small additional percentage on top of the purchase cost they can remake it into whatever you can dream up. I'm not even sure that negative history plays a large role in F1 values -- the cars that have been damaged get rebuilt by the factory to good-as-new status. We're talking about a lightweight, high-horsepower car with no driver aids - there have been many more incidents with them over the years than the ones that have made headlines. Since you mentioned them, Atkinson's car was largely a new car in many respects when it left the factory after his recent accident - some buyers might actually prefer that to a car that has been just sitting around for years. The flemke car looked quite disheveled but it was a low speed impact that required only a new nosepiece, headlamp and the small impact structure behind the bumper. There was no effect to the chassis - not a lot of harm done other than to the owner's checkbook and/or insurance premiums. One example of a highly valued road car would be chassis 025 which has rarely ever been seen. It was the car built for Beatles' songwriter George Harrison. It remains with the family Trust, is all original, has low miles, is a unique spec with its Dark Purple Pearl paint. It also has personal touches relating to George all over the car - even in places you can't see. I don't expect this car to come up for sale anytime soon, but if it did it would likely set a record for a road car values. It has kind of the perfect storm of valuation influencers. There are also a pair of road cars - chassis 018 and 073 - which were upgraded by the factory with an LM-spec engine, and Extra High Downforce Kit with louvers on the nose, but retain all the creature comforts of the standard road car. These two cars are sort of the ultimate combination of all the bits available to throw at one and would probably command higher than normal sums. That said, there are some people who prefer the original, unmolested form of the road car and wouldn't want the Downforce Kit at all. There was one chassis whose owner chose to have it removed in fact. I have heard things recently about owners who have turned down offers in the $10-12M range, so clearly not everyone is interested in cashing in. Whether they are holding onto it because they love the car or because there doesn't seem to be an end to this rise in prices is harder to know the answer to. It is safe to say that most McLaren F1 owners are not in a position to need more money and the opportunity to own another McLaren F1 is not likely to come their way much cheaper than the amount they could sell their car for today. >8^) ER
Thanks Erik, that is a great and fascinating amount of detail - you really should have your own F1 site! And I agree on the Harrison F1. It would be very interesting if it ever came onto the open market.
Seems we were just talking about this: British petrolhead spent more than £6 million on McLaren F1 sports car | Mail Online >8^) ER
Yes, there are a couple of threads already in the forum discussing that. As for the sale price, it is an auction so no one will know until the hammer falls what one person was willing to pay. This one offers a very rare opportunity, that's for sure. >8^) ER
