Back in 2013, an unknown automotive enthusiast decided to commission a McLaren P1 for himself. However, this wasn’t a normal purchase, because he designed and purchased the car with the intent of driving it for a while and then selling it. Why sell it? He wanted to donate the proceeds from the car’s sale to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
And now, in 2017, Gooding & Co. is setting to put this McLaren P1, called “The Professor,” up for auction at their Amelia Island auction.
The car is finished in what is called “Professor 2 Blue,” a paint that was adjusted several times before it was to the owner’s liking. Joining the blue exterior are red accent stripes, and wheels finished in matte black and silver. Inside, The Professor is one of just two P1s that were fitted with specially molded seats that were designed after the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona’s seat pattern. The owner also had McLaren install a passenger side vanity mirror, which isn’t standard, with the phrase “You look beautiful” etched into the mirror for his wife.
Now that the car is headed to the auction, the owner is planning on donating the proceeds to Rose-Hulman so that the Alfred R. Schmidt Chair for Excellence in Teaching can be established. It’s estimated to sell for $2-2.3 million.
[soliloquy slug=”rare-blue-mclaren-p1-professor-auctioned-donation”]