Crashing a collector car can leave a permanent scar on its value. Apparently, that rule becomes considerably less important when the car in question is a McLaren F1 GTR with serious motorsport history and a former owner named Nick Mason.
Chassis 10R has been crashed twice during its life, including once with the Pink Floyd drummer himself behind the wheel. Neither incident stopped bidders from pushing its price into territory few automobiles have ever reached.
The 1996 McLaren F1 GTR sold for $34.655 million, including fees, at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction. That makes it the most expensive McLaren ever sold at public auction and, according to RM Sotheby’s, the most valuable British-built car ever publicly auctioned.
Its remarkable result becomes easier to understand once you look beyond those two accidents. This is one of the rarest and most recognizable F1s ever built, combining factory development history, Le Mans connections, a unique livery, a road conversion, and 25 years in the collection of one of rock music’s best-known car enthusiasts.
This Isn’t An Ordinary McLaren F1
McLaren built only 106 examples of the F1 across its various road, racing, and development configurations. Chassis 10R belongs to an even smaller club as one of nine F1 GTRs constructed for 1996 and one of only two short-tail GTR prototypes.
The car served as a factory development and test machine as McLaren evolved the F1 GTR following its stunning overall victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chassis 10R completed testing at Le Mans in April 1996 and participated in Pre-Qualifying, although it never competed in the race itself.
Its appearance is equally distinctive. Known as the “Pop Art F1,” 10R wears a scarlet-and-yellow factory livery that makes it instantly recognizable among a family of cars that hardly struggles for attention in the first place.
Underneath sits the familiar BMW-developed 6.1-liter naturally aspirated V12. Racing regulations meant the GTR’s engine produced slightly less power than the 627-horsepower road car, with output restricted to just under 600 hp.
Nick Mason Owned It For 25 Years
After McLaren finished using 10R, Pink Floyd drummer and noted car collector Nick Mason purchased it directly from the automaker in 1999. The GTR was subsequently converted for road use and maintained by Lanzante, the company closely associated with McLaren’s racing program and road-going GTR conversions.
Mason’s ownership adds another layer of provenance to an already significant car. His collection has included machinery such as the Ferrari 250 GTO, Jaguar D-Type, Porsche 962, and Maserati 250F, while Mason himself has a long history of competing in historic motorsport.
Unlike plenty of ultra-valuable collector cars, he wasn’t afraid to actually use the McLaren. That enthusiasm eventually resulted in some expensive-looking accidents.
It Has Been Crashed Twice
The first known incident came in 2009 when a journalist crashed the F1 GTR, sending it off the road and into a wheat field. Lanzante subsequently rebuilt the car.
Another accident followed at the 2017 Goodwood Members’ Meeting, this time with Mason driving. He lost control and struck the barriers, leaving the valuable McLaren requiring repairs once again.
For an ordinary collectible, two significant accidents could become major stains on its history. Competition-derived cars are judged somewhat differently, however, particularly when repairs have been handled by respected specialists and the vehicle retains exceptional provenance.
$34.6 Million Sets A New Benchmark
McLaren F1 prices have been climbing rapidly. A road-going example sold for $20.5 million in 2021, while another brought approximately $25.3 million in 2025, illustrating just how dramatically values have moved at the top of the market.
Chassis 10R has now pushed the public-auction record to $34.655 million. Its combination of rarity, development history, Le Mans association, unmistakable factory livery, and Mason ownership evidently mattered considerably more to bidders than its accident history.
The result is also a reminder that the world’s most desirable competition cars aren’t necessarily valuable because they survived untouched. Sometimes the bumps, repairs, and decades of actual use become part of the story — and in this case, that story is apparently worth nearly $35 million.