The most expensive car sold in 2021

The most expensive car sale recorded in 2021 belongs to a 26-year-old supercar.

At an auction back in August, the hammer fell on a 1995 McLaren F1 at a bid of US$20.5 million – or around AU$27.8 million at the time – making it the most valuable car sold for the year, according to German vehicle investment firm Classic-Analytics.

Chassis #029 sold at the iconic Pebble Beach event by Gooding & Company, exceeding its estimate of US$15M by 33 per cent thanks to the vehicle having less than 390km on the clock since new.

While the vehicle has a very low odometer, it isn’t the lowest-mileage F1. Chassis #060 was sold privately for an undisclosed amount by UK dealer Tom Hartley Jnr in 2017 with just 239km on the car, with the vehicle being advertised for £25 million (AU$46.5M) at the time.

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This Creighton Brown example is one of just 64 road-going McLaren F1s built in the 1990s, delivered new to a customer in Japan and offered complete with all of the original accessories, including the tool chest, bespoke luggage, handbooks, tool roll, and a deluxe edition of Driving Ambition: The Official Inside Story of the McLaren F1.

Also included was a Tag Heuer 6000 Chronometer watch with McLaren-signed dial.

As with all road-registered F1s, the iconic supercar is powered by a BMW Motorsports-sourced 6.1-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine, sending 461kW/650Nm to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission.