Car collection of late McLaren co-owner Ojjeh up for sale
LONDON - A unique collection of 20 barely used McLaren road cars that belonged to the Formula One team's late co-owner Mansour Ojjeh is being put up for sale, with hopes one very wealthy buyer might keep it together.
Classic and historic car dealer Tom Hartley Jnr announced on Sunday he had been appointed by Ojjeh's family to handle the sale, which could fetch more than $70 million.
Hartley also oversaw the sale earlier this year of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone's collection of 69 historic grand prix and Formula One racers to Red Bull heir Mark Mateschitz.
Ojjeh's collection includes the very last model of the McLaren F1 to be built, finished in a unique 'Yquem' colour that was subsequently renamed 'Mansour Orange' by McLaren and which has just over 1,800km on the clock.
Only 106 of the McLaren F1 sportscars were made between 1992 and 1998 and a 1995 one that had done less than 390km sold for $20.4 million in a 2021 auction at Pebble Beach, California.
All the other cars are in the same orange colour and all are the final chassis made of each model.
Apart from the F1 and a P1 GTR, the cars are all unused and have been maintained by the manufacturer. Accompanying photographs showed them displayed at the Bahrain F1 circuit.
"Mansour was a founding father of McLaren as we know it today," said McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown in a statement.
"A massively passionate racer and automotive enthusiast and no bigger fan of McLaren. His collection is very special, I'm not aware of anything else that compares with it," added the American, who has his own impressive collection of cars.
Ojjeh, a Paris-born Saudi businessman, succeeded his father as CEO of Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) and sponsored the Williams F1 team in 1979.
He then took an ownership stake in McLaren in 1984, financing the development of TAG-Porsche engines that won two constructors' titles and three drivers' championships.
Ojjeh, who died in 2021 at the age of 68, was a key figure in launching McLaren Automotive with Ron Dennis.
"Being entrusted with the sale of Mansour Ojjeh's McLaren collection is akin to handling Enzo Ferrari's Ferraris or Ferdinand Porsche's Porsches," said Hartley.
"This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled, and I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer." REUTERS
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