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Vintage

The Ultimate Modern Collector Car

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  • One of only two McLaren F1 road cars finished in the striking Marlboro White exterior
  • Attractive interior configuration with light blue Alcantara driver’s seat and dark blue/grey leather and Alcantara passenger seats
  • Incredibly low mileage with just 1,291 kilometers (802 miles) from new
  • Unaltered and maintained exclusively by McLaren Special Operations in Woking throughout its life
  • Received a fuel cell replacement in 2021, followed by comprehensive recent maintenance in November 2024
  • Documented ownership history from new, beginning with Japanese racing team owner Kazumichi Goh
  • Complete with original owner’s manuals, fitted luggage set, tool roll, and Facom toolchest

Chassis No. SA9AB5AC6S1048053

The McLaren F1 emerged from what might be the most consequential airport delay in automotive history. In 1988, following the Italian Grand Prix, TAG-McLaren Group executives Ron Dennis and Mansour Ojjeh found themselves stranded at Linate Airport alongside McLaren’s Technical Director Gordon Murray and head of marketing Creighton Brown. Their conversation turned to creating the ultimate road car—not just another supercar, but in Dennis’s words, “…the finest sports car the world had ever seen.”

In May 1992 at Le Sporting Club Monaco, the McLaren F1 redefined the supercar genre upon its unveiling. Built around a carbon fiber monocoque—a world first for a production road car—and powered by a bespoke 6.1-liter BMW Motorsport V12 engine, the F1 delivered 627 horsepower and a power-to-weight ratio of 550 horsepower per ton. Its unique central driving position, gold-lined engine bay, and no-compromise approach to performance and driver engagement set new standards that remain unmatched to this day. Limited to just 106 examples across all variants, only 64 were built as standard road cars, making them the most revered and sought after supercar of the modern era.

This superlative example of the F1, chassis number 053, was ordered on 31 March 1995, and assigned production sequence 044. Assembly began on 28 July 1995, with the car being officially delivered “ex-works” on 27 November 1995, showing just 193 kilometers on the odometer. The original purchaser was Kazumichi Goh, the Japanese businessman behind Team Goh, which would go on to win the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) in 1996 with a pair of McLaren F1 GTRs sponsored by Philip Morris cigarette brand Lark.

Chassis 053 featured a highly distinctive specification highlighted by its Marlboro White exterior finish—one of only two F1 road cars to wear this color. The cabin was finished with a unique blue-themed interior featuring dark blue/grey leather with pierced blue/grey Alcantara cloth central panels for the passenger seats, while the central driver’s seat was entirely covered in light blue Alcantara. This bespoke specification was completed with blue Wilton carpet, light blue Alcantara headlining, and an optional black suede steering wheel. The car was also delivered with a matching bespoke luggage set in dark grey leather with a blue Alcantara strip carrying the embossed chassis number. Factory driver settings were configured with the steering wheel at height position A (highest), pedals at position C (long), reach at position A (near), clutch foot rest at position D (extra long), and standard seat with extra long rails.

In 2004, chassis 053 was purchased by another Japanese collector. By late 2006, the car showed just 432 kilometers when it was sold by WHA Corporation of Nagoya, Japan, to dealer SPS Automotive Ltd. (Hong Kong) on 28 November. The car subsequently came to Europe in 2007 when it was acquired by dealer Lukas Huni AG in Switzerland on behalf of a European client with a recorded mileage of 482 kilometers. On 14 March 2014, chassis 053 was sold via Morris & Welford to collector in the United States. During this ownership, the car spent time in both the U.S. and U.K., and the mileage had increased to 1,108 kilometers. On 16 November 2016, the car was acquired by its next long-term European owner via McLaren Special Operations in Woking and subsequently registered in the U.K. with the appropriate license plate “53 MCL.”

Throughout its life, chassis 053 has been meticulously maintained by McLaren Special Operations. The service book records regular maintenance with all work completed at McLaren’s Woking headquarters on December 12, 2006 (481 kilometers), 14 June 2010 (998 kilometers), 25 October 2016 (1,185 kilometers), 24 April 2018 (1,238 kilometers), and most recently on 12 November 2024 (1,290 kilometers). In July 2021, the car received a comprehensive fuel cell service at McLaren Special Operations totaling £52,061.55 (excluding VAT), which included £31,624.50 in labor charges and £15,472.74 for the fuel cell unit itself. A covering letter from McLaren Heritage Manager Thomas Reinhold noted the return of a “favourite F1” to MSO, an F1 that also “drives extremely well.”

Further work was carried out in November 2021, including replacement of various pipes, fittings, suspension rose-joints and bushes, plus a new water pump at a cost of £23,992.05 (excluding VAT). Most recently, the car returned to MSO in late 2024 for a “3 Year Life Items” service, during which the steering wheel battery, instrument binnacle battery, key fob battery, air conditioning receiver dryer, engine oil and filters, gearbox oil, and coolant were all replaced. The car also underwent a full suspension set-up and headlamp alignment at a cost of £4,861.10 (excluding VAT). Heritage Manager Michael Wrigley’s covering email following this most recent service summed up the car’s exceptional condition: “It’s a truly lovely example so there is very little of note to comment on!”

With just 1,291 kilometers recorded from new, chassis 053 represents one of the lowest mileage and most original McLaren F1 road cars in existence. Its unique color combination, low mileage, comprehensive documentation, complete set of factory tools, owner’s manuals, and fitted luggage make it an unparalleled example of Gordon Murray’s masterpiece. Maintained throughout its life without regard to cost and exclusively serviced by McLaren Special Operations, this McLaren F1 offers its next custodian the opportunity to acquire the ultimate modern collector car in truly museum-quality condition.

For the Silo, Barney Ruprecht.

Transportation

7 Most Expensive Electric Cars In The World Include Batmobile Inspired Dark Knight

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While EVs are known mainly as environmentally friendly offerings, this list proves not all things with electric motors on four wheels are created equal.

1a. Automobili Pininfarina B95: $4.7 Million usd/ $6.67 Million cad

Topping the list is the Pininfarina B95, the world’s most expensive electric car at $4.7 million usd. Limited to just 10 units, the B95 blends breathtaking performance with unmatched luxury. With a top speed of 186 mph and acceleration from 0 to 62 mph in under two seconds, it’s as fast as it is exclusive. Crafted for collectors, the B95 epitomizes automotive luxury in the EV era.

1b. Automobili Pininfarina Battista B95 Dark Knight $4.2 Million usd/ $5.94 Million cad

Celebrating 85 years of Batman, this hypercar is meticulously crafted as the ultimate inspiration for Bruce Wayne’s conquest against darkness. The Battista Dark Knight emerges blending superhero mystique with high-performance luxury. Dark Knight transforms the elegant, pure-electric Battista into its most formidable version yet, Furiosa. Featuring never-previously-seen bespoke enhancements and aggressive styling, it showcases the pinnacle of Automobili Pininfarina’s dynamic design and craftsmanship.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

2. Aspark Owl: $3.1 Million usd/ $4.4 Million cad

Hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun, the Aspark Owl takes electric speed to another level with a claimed top speed of 260 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 1.72 seconds. Its all-carbon-fiber body minimizes weight while maximizing aerodynamics. Limited to 50 units, the Owl’s exclusivity matches its $3.1 million usd price tag. A recent evolution of the model reached a record-breaking 272 mph, solidifying its place as one of the fastest EVs ever.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

3. NIO EP9: $3 Million usd/ $4.25 Million cad

China’s NIO EP9 stands out with its focus on aerodynamics and track performance. With an active rear wing and 5,395 pounds of downforce at 150 mph, the EP9 excels on the racetrack. Its four motors enable a 0-124 mph sprint in just 7.1 seconds, and its innovative battery-swapping system adds convenience. Limited to 50 units, the EP9 costs $3 million usd and showcases NIO’s technical expertise.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

4.Lotus Evija: $2.3 Million usd/ $3.25 Million cad

The Lotus Evija aims to redefine what an electric hypercar can achieve, delivering 1,973 horsepower from its four motors. Its lightweight design, with a curb weight of just 3,704 pounds, emphasizes performance, while a range of 250 miles ensures practicality. A special Fittipaldi edition pays homage to Lotus’s racing legacy, featuring even greater power and exclusivity. At $2.3 million, the Evija remains a pinnacle of British engineering.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

5. Pininfarina Battista: $2.25 Million usd/ $3.18 Million cad

We mentioned the Batman version above already but the ‘base model’ Automobili Pininfarina’s Battista is an electrified masterpiece, blending exquisite design with awe-inspiring performance. With a combined output of 1,900 horsepower from four motors, the Battista rockets from 0 to 62 mph in just 1.86 seconds. Its 120 kWh battery allows fast charging to 80% in 25 minutes, and its carbon fiber construction optimizes agility. Priced at $2.25 million, this Italian creation is limited to 150 units.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

6. Rimac Nevera: $2.2 Million usd/ $3.11 Million cad

Croatia’s Rimac Nevera has rewritten the record books, claiming the title of the world’s fastest EV with a top speed of 258 mph. Its four motors generate 1,813 horsepower, enabling blistering acceleration and exceptional handling. With only 150 units produced, each priced at $2.2 million, the Nevera is a true collector’s item. A special Time Attack variant, priced at over $3 million usd , adds even more exclusivity to an already rare hypercar.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

7. Deus Vayanne: $2 Million usd/ $2.83 Million cad

The Deus Vayanne debuted at the 2022 New York Auto Show, boasting a staggering 2,243 horsepower thanks to its tri-motor setup. Designed in Austria, produced in Italy, and electrified in the UK, this hypercar achieves a balance of power and elegance. Its unique infinity-loop-inspired grille complements an interior lined with sustainable materials. With a range of 310 miles and a limited production run of 99 units, the Vayanne offers exclusivity at $2 million.

Most Expensive Electric Vehicles In the World

For the Silo, Verdad Gallardo.

Art

World Record Price For French Photographer’s Ferrari Print

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Monaco, French Riviera – A couple of months ago on Saturday, June 8th, artworld history was made during the prestigious auction “L’Astarossa” organized by Monaco Car Auction at the Grimaldi Forum.

A photographic work by artist Philippe Shangti reached a new peak.

The photograph, a unique piece titled “Luxury Pollution Car, Signature Masterpiece,” was sold for the hammer price of €290,000 / $435,000 CAD, a world record- making Philippe Shangti the highest valued contemporary French photographer.

The event “L’Astarossa” was primarily dedicated to Ferrari collector cars but also featured artworks related to the Ferrari theme.

The centerpiece of this artistic sale, “Luxury Pollution Car,” is a composition featuring the La Ferrari car with models in Shangti’s inimitable style. The print, called “Signature Masterpiece” by the artist, is printed on museum certified paper and traced with a hologram, signed, and numbered 1/1 on the back by Shangti himself. It measures 259 x 110 cm, and 267 x 128.5 cm with its baroque wood frame and molding.

This record comes just a few months after Shangti had already broken his own record.

Indeed, on March 8th, one of his photographs titled “Luxury Fifth Dinner,” a
print numbered in an edition of 7, sold for €54,000 / $81,000 CAD at Drouot Paris.
The auction of the photograph “Luxury Pollution Car” marks a historic milestone,
being the highest ever recorded for a living French photographer, held before by
Gerard Rancinan. This recognition strengthens Philippe Shangti’s position on the
international art scene and highlights the growing appeal of his works among
collectors and art enthusiasts.

Transportation

These Fun, Affordable 21st-Century Cars Aren’t Classics…Yet

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Every so often, I engage in a particularly futile and depressing ritual—I shop for cars that I’ve foolishly let go. They’re cars that could have been feasible 10 years ago, but not today. I’ve been priced out of the market for virtually all of them. And while the market might be settling down at the moment, there are few signs of an out-and-out retreat to pre-pandemic pricing. Among cars from the 1970s through the early 1990s, there are precious few bargains. But go a little bit newer, where there’s even some depreciation yet to be done, and the picture gets more enticing. I’m talking cars from the 2000s to 2010s that are getting older, but still aren’t considered any kind of “classic” or “collectible” yet. Here are some highlights.

Fiat 500 Abarth

Fiat

The 500 Abarth is the closest thing to a real hot hatch that Fiat has ever offered in the U.S., a market that is sadly short on real hot hatches. There were more interesting varieties of the Punto and Ritmo, but those were Euro-only cars that frankly weren’t very good compared to competition from Renault, Peugeot, VW, and Ford. As for the 500 Abarth, although it first arrived here in the early 2010s, the 160-hp pocket rocket feels more like a 1990s hot hatch. It’s crude, the ride is choppy, and a 10 year-old Fiat probably wears more like a 20 year-old VW. But it’s loud, analog-feeling, and fun. Most importantly, it’s cheap. Around $8000usd to $10,000usd/ $11,000cad to $13,700cad buys one with under 50,000 miles/ 80,467kms. That’s tons of fun per us or canadian dollar in a package that offers an old school driving experience in something that’s new enough to have most contemporary features and conveniences.

MazdaSpeed3

2010 mazdaspeed3
Mazda/Guy Spangenberg

Back in the days of the Zoom Zoom tagline, Mazda fielded the incredibly entertaining MazdaSpeed3. Offered from 2007-13, it’s a four-door hatch with 263 hp and 280 lb. ft. of torque. It’s exactly the kind of car enthusiasts and auto journalists beg manufacturers for, but rarely head to a dealership and actually buy.  Everyone who tested a Speed3 back in the day found the car fun, especially those of us who were entertained by the torque-steer. Car and Driver wasn’t, comparing driving the car to a game of tug-of-war. But, affordability and perfection don’t often go hand-in-hand, so for $10,000usd to $12,000usd/ $13,700cad tp $16,400cad at current prices you could do far worse than the powerful and practical Speed3.

C5 Corvette

C5 Corvette Front Country Road Action
Josh Sweeney

If hot hatches aren’t your jam, there’s always the bargain Corvette of the moment, the 1997-2004 C5. While some variants, most notably the Z06, sailed beyond true affordability in the last several years, a base manual C5 with somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 miles/ 120,000km and 160,934km can still be had in the $13,000usd to $15,000usd range/ $17,760cad – $20,490cad. That’s a huge bargain for what was an utterly clean sheet design, one of the few in Corvette history, and more performance than almost anything in this price point. Interiors are standard 2000s GM, but livable. And the styling, over a quarter-century after it was introduced, is aging quite nicely.

2003-08 BMW Z4

2006 bmw z4 roadster front
BMW

The 2003-08 Z4 is a bit like the C5 Corvette in that it wasn’t universally loved when new, but is aging well. Available in 2.5- and 3.0-liter six-cylinder forms, the Z4 was larger and more practical than its predecessor, the Z3. Its odd surface detailing and Kamm-tail also look better now than they did 20 years ago. The Z4’s list of maladies is well-known at this point—the VANOS variable valve-timing system can give trouble (it’s often the solenoids), as can the cooling system. These are pricy repairs, but with nice cars available in the $9000usd to $12,000usd/ $12,300cad to $16,400cad range, if you budget $2000usd-$3000usd/ $2,730cad-$4,100cad to sort things out, these can still be a compelling deal in semi-modern convertible German sports car.

2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG CoupePalm Coast, Florida

2005-2014 Ford Mustang

2005 mustang convertible skyline beach
Ford Motor Company

You could argue that the 2005 Mustang was the first one to really look like a Mustang since maybe 1973. The brilliant Sid Ramnarace-designed S197 Mustang managed to look the part without being foolishly retro, a hard balance to achieve. Special editions, and certainly the Shelby versions of the S197 are not cheap, but a lightly optioned V-8 coupe or convertible is still one of the best cheap V-8 pony cars out there. Being a Mustang, there are always plenty on the market to choose from at any given time, and a decent manual transmission car can be had in the $12,000usd to $14,000usd/ $16,300cad to $19,130cad range.  For the Silo, Rob Sass/Hagerty.

Featured image: Mazda/Guy Spangenberg

Transportation

1966 Chevy C-20 Custom Pickup Rescued From Mojave Desert

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1966 Chevrolet C-20 Custom pick-up. Found in a wrecking yard in the Mojave Desert by the author.

Lloyd’s 66 Chevy C-20 Custom is the epitome of the classic story of finding a sweet ride, a diamond in the rough. Just tucked away somewhere conspicuous collecting dust down south. I found this truck in a wrecking yard in the Mojave Desert being neglected for over 12 years. Imagine the looks on the guys faces that walked by this old truck in the yard if they could see what it turned into now. (funny enough, this is the same yard in which I found my own personal truck of the same body style over 25 years ago.)

I went to California and worked on this truck for 3 weeks to get it running and road worthy before making the epic over 2500 mile trip back to WC Kustoms in Windham Centre. First thing was the engine. I took that dirty, tired, old 350 and swapped it out with a fresh Crane Cams build-up 60 over 350. I gave it a nice shiny new classic Chevy orange paint job and topped it off with everything chrome (edelbrock endurashine carb, high-rise intake, and Mr. Gasket chrome dress-up kit.) To make sure that you really know when it’s passing you, I added some Flo-tec headers and sold him a Magnaflow Stainless dual exhaust kit (the kit was installed by Queensway Garage in Simcoe.)

For outside looks, this sweet 66 got a stock, two-tone custom, color scheme using two 2011 factory Chevrolet colors. A wicked combination of Metallic Blue and Silver to make this truck as colorful as the character that owns it. Inside it also received a blue, back-lit Equus tach and gauge set. In pure Lloyd style one of the first additions was blue street-glow lighting. Deleye’s in Simcoe also installed a chrome custom trim kit, painted grille and front bumper, and a rear roll pan bumper that looks really good. This truck is a vast contrast from the old farm trucks that many would attribute this body style to.

If you’re a  retro gamer and Grand Theft Auto (San Adreas) fan, you should consider changing up the default tow-truck with the ’66 Chevy C-20 pickup.

For the Silo, by Robb Price.

WC Kustoms in Windham Centre, Ontario can be reached at 519-410-8308.