McLaren F1 GTR Art Car Heads to Sotheby’s Monterey Auction on August 15
A one-off McLaren F1 GTR art car designed by Gordon Murray is set to cross the block at Sotheby’s Monterey auction on 15 August, where it carries a pre-sale estimate of more than $35 million.
Completed in 1996 as McLaren’s press and development prototype, chassis number 10R was conceived as a complete visual statement rather than a bare racing shell awaiting sponsor logos. The car combines a blood-red body with yellow wheels and an oversized “GTR” script based on Murray’s own handwriting, giving it the appearance of a purpose-built art car.
Murray integrated graphic design and engineering from the outset, creating a pop-art-inspired livery that treats the racing machine as a moving artwork. The car follows a lineage of art cars associated with figures such as Sonia Delaunay, Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, but stands apart because image and chassis were developed together.
