Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's McLaren may top $35M
Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is auctioning his one-of-a-kind 1996 McLaren F1 GTR through RM Sotheby's in Monterey next month, with estimates in excess of $35 million. That figure would make the road-converted race car the most expensive McLaren ever sold at auction, topping a 1994 F1 that fetched $25.3 million.
Key Takeaways
- Mason's 1996 McLaren F1 GTR (chassis 10R) carries an RM Sotheby's estimate above $35 million.
- The Monterey sale runs August 12–15 and could set a new auction record for the marque.
- Only 28 F1 GTRs were built; Mason's is the only one with a factory scarlet-and-yellow livery.
- McLaren converted the Le Mans-bred racer for street use after Mason bought it in 1999.
Where is Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's McLaren headed?
After nearly three decades in the Pink Floyd drummer's personal collection, the car is headed to RM Sotheby's Monterey auction. Mason acquired chassis no. 10R directly from McLaren in 1999.
The consignment puts a scarce celebrity-owned supercar in the same collector spotlight as other trophy assets covered across luxury real estate and dream homes—objects that draw global bids when they finally change hands.
What makes this 1996 McLaren F1 GTR one of a kind?
McLaren built the track-focused F1 GTR after teams pressed for a racing version of the road supercar. The GTR debuted in 1995 and won that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Production lasted three years and yielded just 28 cars.
Mason's example is the first of nine built in 1996 and one of only two short-tail F1 GTRs, alongside the 1995 Le Mans winner. It is also the sole car finished in a factory livery—an instantly recognizable scarlet and yellow scheme the auction house says was inspired by 1990s pop art.
Like other 1996 F1 GTRs, it uses a BMW-sourced 6.0-liter V-12 that made 591 hp with air restrictors for racing rules. For road legality, McLaren removed the restrictors, raised the suspension for clearance, and added mufflers and passenger seats.
How high could the Monterey auction price go?
RM Sotheby's estimates the car will sell for "in excess" of $35 million at its annual Monterey sale, scheduled Thursday, August 12, through Saturday, August 15, at the city's convention center.
If it hits that mark, it would displace a 1994 McLaren F1 that sold for $25.3 million late last year as the most expensive McLaren ever to go under the hammer—cementing Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's GTR as a landmark moment for the marque.