The World's Most Expensive Car: McLaren F1 (Part IV)

In continuing the subject of the world's most expensive vehicles, I want to come to a car built in the very recent past (the last 20 years) that has been one of the most expensive vehicles in the world since its inception: the McLaren F1.

The McLaren stands out for a number of reasons. First, it was the most expensive, most high tech, fastest, and most successful (homologation) racecar when it debuted in 1994 up until the last car rolled off the production line in 1998. Second, the car was unlike any other vehicle that had been produced, now and then. Finally, it was the vision of one individual, Gordon Murray, that really brought the car from paper to the road.

Costing $1 million when new, and designed to go zero to 60 mph (100 kp/h) in a hair of three seconds and topping out at 230 mph, the McLaren was truly a supercar. The entire body and monocoque chassis were constructed of carbon fiber, the engine was a BMW unit made primarily of magnesium (to keep the weight down), and the driver sat perched in the center of the car, with two passengers seated on either side (not the first time this arrangement had been used, but the first time it had ever seen series production). The car was designed to Murray's exacting specifications, using the lightest (and most expensive) materials, and featuring many elements that distinguished the car not just as a supercar, but the brainchild of one man. Murray didn't like to listen to the radio, so the McLaren didn't have one. He did like rock and roll though, so the car came with a custom designed Kenwood 10-disc autochanger and special speakers that didn't have magnets in them (it was lighter that way).

The vehicle was produced by McLaren Cars, and offshoot of McLaren Automotive, which primarily designed and built racecars. Only 64 road cars were built, along with a hand full of special road racing models, and an additional crop of dedicated racecars. In total, only 107 McLaren F1's were ever built. All were snapped up by unique individuals, many by well known entertainers, businessmen, and entrepreneurs. Today, when a McLaren turns up on the market, it sells 25% or more of what it originally cost new. Of course, the cost of ownership isn't cheap, with regular service requiring a technician to be flown in from England and major service requiring the entire vehicle to be shipped back to the factory. The owners are loyal though, more so than most supercar owners, and treasure their cars and marvels of engineering and a unique one man-one car achievement.