- The car was sold to Nick Mason in 1999 after a short racing career in Europe.
- In 2017, Mason crashed the car at Goodwood, but it was quickly repaired.
- The McLaren has been meticulously maintained by Lanzante over the years.
Next month, one of the world’s most valuable McLaren F1s heads to auction. Owned by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and believed to be worth north of $35 million, it will almost certainly become the most valuable F1 ever sold in a public sale. That’s a high bar, given what these cars already command, but this one has the pedigree to clear it.
Watch: Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason Crashes His McLaren F1 GTR
Known as ‘The Pop Art F1,’ this is chassis 10R, the first example built to GTR specification for the 1996 racing season. It arrived a year after another F1 GTR, chassis 01R, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and it set out to follow that car’s lead into competition.
Alex Penfold/RM Sotheby’s
After testing and some promotional campaigns, this F1 GTR, finished in a resplendent shade of Blood Red, participated in Pre-Qualifying for Le Mans, driven by David Brabham. It didn’t end up racing at Le Mans that year; instead, sister car chassis 11R was used by the McLaren team.
McLaren initially retained the car, but in 1999 it was sold to Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason for an undisclosed sum. The company converted it for road use, and Lanzante handled further work down the line.
An F1 With A Checkered Past
Alex Penfold/RM Sotheby’s
As with plenty of other F1s, this one has also endured some rough days. In 2009, a journalist crashed it into a wheat field, prompting a full restoration and repair from Lanzante. It would go on to participate in several motorsport events across Europe, including a 750 km (466 miles) road rally through Italy, and the Goodwood Members’ Meeting in 2017. Sadly, while Mason was behind the wheel of it, he lost control and slammed into a tire wall.
Once again, Lanzante was called in to repair the car, returning it to its former glory. Mason remains the car’s one and only private owner since it was built, and it’s been routinely serviced, ensuring it’s in pristine condition.
Two wrecks, one wheat field, and it still clears $35 million. Turns out an F1 GTR forgives almost anything. Have a look at the listing over at RM Sotheby’s, then quietly weep into your savings account.
Alex Penfold/RM Sotheby’s
