What is the best version of a car to have? Based purely on auction value, the market seems to have determined that oftentimes the last version of a car to roll out of the factory is the most valuable. Would you believe that someone bought the last of almost all the company’s best models and just, I guess, completely forgot to drive them?
That’s the only way I can explain the fact that a collection of McLarens, almost all the final chassis of 20 different models (did you know that McLaren even made 20 different models?), only have delivery miles on them. They are, as described by auction house Tom Hartley Jnr, “unused, factory-fresh.”
What’s going on here? Did the original owner, who got the cars painted in his own personal color, get so excited about the next car that he just forgot to drive the car he already purchased? The vehicles are incredible, and there’s even an F1. The Last McLaren F1! Based on recent sales, that has to be a $30 million car at least, right?
And not just any car. The car many consider to the the best-handling, best-driving car ever built.
There are way more than that. Just in the photo, you can see a clean Speedtail, a Sabre, a P1, a P1 GTR, a freakin’ Senna (in Senna colors, not orange). A 650S Le Mans, a 2022 720S Le Mans, and a 600 LT Spider.
There’s even a super rare Elva, though that was reportedly delivered after the owner died, so that maybe can’t be blamed on the owner.
So who was it that had all these cars and didn’t drive them?
Mansour Ojjeh.
If you don’t know who Mansour Ojjeh is, then you might not be familiar with McLaren’s full history. The hugely successful businessman is the TAG behind TAG Heuer, among about a million other investments via TAG. He was also a passionate racing fan who was as much a part of the company’s racing success as any driver or engineer.
“Mansour was a founding father of McLaren as we know it today. A massively passionate racer and automotive enthusiast and no bigger fan of McLaren,” said McLaren Racing’s Zak Brown.
That orange color on all these cars? That’s Mansour Orange, as the auction house describes:
Mansour Ojjeh was a pivotal figure in the world of motorsport, celebrated for his visionary role in transforming McLaren into one of Formula 1’s most iconic and successful teams. His journey in Formula 1 began in 1979, when TAG sponsored the Williams team. However, it was his decision in 1984 to take an ownership stake in McLaren that truly shaped his legacy. TAG famously financed the development of the TAG-Porsche turbo engines, which powered McLaren to two Constructors’ Championships and three Drivers’ Championships, a partnership that marked the beginning of one of the sport’s most enduring alliances.
When McLaren Automotive began producing road cars in earnest, Mansour made a pivotal decision. He sold his previous collection and turned his attention to building something new: the ultimate McLaren road car collection.
That collection was built around a central theme, with the McLaren F1 as its ‘jewel in the crown’. This particular F1 is a one-of-one example, finished in a unique colour named Yquem, after the esteemed and rare dessert wine. It was also the last McLaren F1 ever produced.
To reflect the significance of this vehicle, McLaren subsequently renamed the colour Mansour Orange, a custom hue used exclusively on his cars. This shade could not be specified by any other customer. Furthermore, Mansour requested the final chassis number for each model, ensuring his cars incorporated all the technical updates made during the production cycle.
Ok, I sort of get that. That is kind of cool. While most of the cars are super-low mileage, the F1 did get driven a bit, and the P1 GTR did see track use. Given Ojjeh’s enormous wealth, he might have had driving versions of many of these cars if he wanted to go for a drive.
According to his widow, Ojjeh took great joy in spending hours designing “each car to his specifications” and that he had “an unusual talent for detail that stuns and impresses.” I gotta admit, the details are pretty good. The man had taste, if not ample driving time.
The collection has since passed to a new owner, who bought all of the cars for an undisclosed sum. That’s a lot of McLarens. It’s also the best possible McLaren collection in existence.
Perhaps the new owner can put a few more miles on if they’re not as, you know, busy.
Top Photo: Tom Hartley Jnr
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