Considered the ultimate unicorn in the collector-car world, the McLaren F1 carries a legacy shaped by both its success in racing and its prominent status as an influential, eight-figure hypercar. Rarely do these cars change hands, especially in the public eye, largely because the F1 remains an all-time great with no means of losing its crown anytime soon. As if anticipation for this year's Monterey Car Week wasn't already at an all-time high among collectors and enthusiasts, RM Sotheby’s just announced the upcoming sale of this iconic 1996 McLaren F1 GTR (Chassis 10R), which has already been estimated to sell for more than $35,000,000. 
Every McLaren F1 variant proves to be legendary in its own way, carrying a story and personality connected to each car. Chassis 10R is one of them. Between its role as a factory development XP prototype, its connection to Le Mans, and more than two decades in the ownership of Pink Floyd drummer and lifelong car collector Nick Mason, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a serious piece of automotive history.
Before customer teams ever got their hands on updated race cars, McLaren built chassis 10R as the very first 1996-spec F1 GTR. Known internally as an experimental prototype, the car stayed with the factory while engineers made final touches to aero and mechanical upgrades ahead of the new racing season. During that time, it was driven by several of McLaren's factory drivers, including 1995 Le Mans winner JJ Lehto, and became a standout at the BPR Global GT Series with its signature Blood Red paint and bright yellow graphics.
Once its factory development work was complete, 10R took a different path than most race cars. Instead of spending years in storage or private collections, it was sold directly by McLaren to Nick Mason, whose reputation as one of Britain's most respected car collectors is well known. His garage includes everything from a Ferrari 250 GTO and Jaguar D-Type to Formula 1-driven race cars, making the McLaren F1 a natural fit in his collection. Even more impressive, the car was converted for road use by McLaren itself before additional work was done by Lanzante, giving one of the most successful GT race cars of the 1990s to legally return to the road while maintaining its competition look and feel.
That relationship with Lanzante has continued throughout the car's life. Both Paul and Dean Lanzante have cared for chassis 10R for decades, performing restorations and routine servicing whenever needed. Mason has never been afraid to drive the car, bringing it to events like the Goodwood Members' Meeting, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and exclusive McLaren owner tours across Europe. Every drive has been followed by meticulous maintenance, one of the reasons 10R remains as mechanically strong today as it is historically important.
What really makes chassis 10R special is how many important stories come together in a single car. It's the first 1996-spec F1 GTR, one of only nine examples built in that configuration, a factory prototype that helped prep McLaren's Le Mans movement, and the only car to wear its original red-and-yellow development livery. Add its factory road conversion, decades of ownership by Nick Mason, and continuous support from Lanzante, and it's easy to understand why collectors view 10R as one of the most significant McLaren F1 GTRs ever built. Nick Mason’s 1996 McLaren F1 GTR will cross the auction block with RM Sotheby’s during its Monterey Car Week event at Pebble Beach later next month. 
Source: RM Sotheby's/Alex Penfold
