Photo credit: Zach Brehl for RM Sotheby’s
A 1997 McLaren F1, chassis 062, is heading to the Monterey Car Week auction in August with a rich history tied to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and California’s highways. With only 6,500 miles and an estimated selling price over $23 million, this pristine supercar is ready to set a new standard for legends.
Built as the 53rd of 106 F1s in Woking, England, this was one of seven imported to the US via Ameritech. Delivered to Ellison in August 1997, it had a California vanity plate, “ORACLE8,” and stayed with him until 2005, with only 2,600 miles. The second owner added less than 1,000 miles before the current Bay Area owner took over in 2010 and kept it in California’s mild climate, preserving the Magnesium Silver paint and black leather interior in perfect condition.
- LEGO Technic formula 1 race car set for adults – This McLaren P1 building set for adults is packed with authentic details and can be built to make a 1:8 scale model collectible for supercar fans
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A BMW-sourced 6.1-liter V-12 engine, naturally aspirated and making 627 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, powers this beauty. With a six-speed manual gearbox and no electronic aids to the rear wheels, it’s the fastest naturally aspirated production car, hitting 242.95 mph in 1998 at the Volkswagen Ehra-Lessien track, set by Andy Wallace.
McLaren Special Operations upgrades include a sport exhaust (with the original), upgraded air conditioning, new radiators, and an aluminum fuel tank for livability and ferocity. In October 2023, McLaren Philadelphia did a full refresh: new transmission, four new tires on original magnesium wheels, 12 new spark plugs, new battery, correct windshield and gold foil repairs.
The interior is minimalist and focused, with the driver sitting centrally in a gray-accented seat, flanked by two passenger seats in the arrowhead layout designed by Gordon Murray. Black leather wraps the compact interior, and also includes original extras like a luggage set, tool roll, travel suitcase, garment bag, car cover, F1-branded detailing kit, service modem as well as a torque wrench.
With its low miles, perfect maintenance record and California provenance— Ellison ownership, 2012 F1 Anniversary Tour in Italy and a detailed condition report by McLaren technician Kevin Hines—it could go over the $20.5 million F1 record set in 2021.
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