The late Ayrton Senna is considered by many as the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time, and anything that bears his names sells for an absurd amount of money. A few years ago, Senna’s first-ever Formula 1 car crossed the block, and now, the final McLaren he competed in is heading to Bonhams.
The Formula 1 car, which wears chassis number six, helped Senna claim his sixth victory in Monaco. The chassis was also used in seven other races during the 1993 season, which saw Senna finish in second place overall behind Alain Prost.
The racecar, which is powered by a HB Cosworth V8 that was supplied by Ford, features a high-tech active suspension system. And there’s the gorgeous Marlboro livery that has become synonymous to McLaren’s golden era and one of the most iconic in Formula 1 history.
Bonhams claims the McLaren MP4/8A is in “startlingly well-preserved, running-order.” While it would be awesome to see the new buyer take the Formula 1 car to a track day, this probably won’t happen. This is a collector’s item and will probably be locked away for a long, long time.
The auction takes place on May 11 at Bonham’s sale in Monaco. The British auction house didn’t provide a ballpark estimate for the vehicle, but we’re sure it will go for well over the seven-figure mark. With Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2001 crossing the block for $7.5 million late last year, we’re sure someone will put up even more money for Senna’s car.
For those of us that don’t have large enough bank accounts to even dream about purchasing the Formula 1 car, the clip below provides a recap of what went down during the ’93 Gran Prix de Monaco.