Billionaire Larry Ellison’s Low-Mileage McLaren F1 Is for Sale originally appeared on Autoblog.
What makes this 1997 McLaren F1 hold a value in excess of $23 million
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison’s former 1997 McLaren F1 is set to head to auction at RM Sotheby’s block during Monterey Car Week. The model, chassis no. 62 is one of just seven McLaren F1s exported to the U.S., and its odometer has just under 6,500 miles. McLaren built 106 road F1s at its Woking, U.K. headquarters, and the model up for sale is believed to have never been modified to meet federal safety and emissions approval.
The vehicle is described by the design leader of McLaren’s F1 racing teams, Gordon Murray, as the world’s first ground-effect road car. Its aerodynamic design mirrored aspects of the 1971 Ferrari 312P sports racer, including its low frontal area without excess wing. The interior contains a center driver’s seat, flanked by two passenger seats, which Murray said aimed to “give the driver the panoramic feel of a single-seater,” according to RM Sotheby’s. The car also doesn’t contain any electronic driving aids to appeal to true enthusiasts.
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Legendary BMW engineer Paul Rosche designed the F1’s engine, a naturally aspirated 6.1-liter quad-cam V-12 producing 627 bhp and 479 lb-ft of torque. These powertrain specs translate to a 0-62 mph time of 3.2 seconds. Rosche was responsible for designing engines for several high-performance BMWs, such as the 2002 Turbo’s M31 and the E30 M3’s S14. The transmission is a six-speed manual transverse gearbox, and 16 grams of gold foil lining the engine bay reflected heat to protect the all-composite monocoque chassis F1, which contained carbon fibre and Kevlar.
This McLaren’s unique design placed it at a premium price point from the get-go. Upon its launch at the Monaco Sporting Club during the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix, the F1 was priced at $1 million, not including taxes, or about $2.3 million at today’s rate. The F1 would go on to become the world’s fastest normally-aspirated road car by hitting a speed of 242.95 mph at Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track—a record that it retains for its engine type.
Other notable McLaren F1 owners and chassis no. 62’s upgrades
The Beatles’ George Harrison, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk were among the exclusive McLaren F1’s group of owners. Musk, who had an F1 delivered to him gently used in 1999, drove the model daily, logging over 11,000 miles in his first year of ownership. Musk totaled his uninsured F1 and repaired the car out of pocket.
Larry Ellison logged less than 2,600 miles in the F1 that’s being auctioned by RM Sotheby’s. While chassis no. 62 had three owners, they all kept the car in the San Francisco Bay Area. The vehicle is equipped with several McLaren Special Operations post-production upgrades in areas such as air conditioning, radiators, sports exhaust, and the aluminum fuel tank. Chassis no. 62 also still contains its original magnesium wheels, matte black-finished spare, owner’s manuals, and luggage set. This example is one of seven road-legal McLaren F1s in California.
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Final thoughts
There are several reasons why significant auto enthusiasts like George Harrison and Ralph Lauren were drawn to the F1. The model is the first example of a manufacturer successfully creating a vehicle striking an ideal balance between iconic design, record-breaking performance, and an unmatched driving experience. Key elements helping form this combination include its lightweight carbon-fiber monocoque, BMW-sourced V12 from legendary engineer Paul Rosche, and center-positioned driver’s seat. Chassis no. 62 is especially valuable with its low-mileage journey through three owners, all of whom kept it in the same geographical region.
Billionaire Larry Ellison’s Low-Mileage McLaren F1 Is for Sale first appeared on Autoblog on Aug 7, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Aug 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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