McLaren F1 anniversary

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic McLaren F1, a private enthusiasts’ gathering of the cars took place in October, with over a dozen examples on display at the Uncovered at Thirty event.

Conceived by engineer Gordon Murray and designed by Peter Stevens, the McLaren F1 took on the established supercar players at its launch in 1992. With its streamlined lightweight architecture, Grand Prix-inspired central driving position and 6.1-litre V12 engine, it became one of the ultimate ‘poster cars’ of the 1990s. Although the McLaren was designed for public roads, it also proved highly competitive on the racetrack, its most memorable triumph being at Le Mans in 1995 when an F1 GTR won outright, followed by its sister cars in third, fourth and fifth positions.

The F1 is still highly sought after today, with standard examples regularly changing hands for over $20 million, with the even rarer GT and GTR versions worth more. The recent private anniversary event, taking place at Kiklo Spaces in Hampshire, saw an impressive line-up of F1s, including a selection of short- and long-tailed GTR racers and the Le Mans-winning car from 1995.