If you’re an auto enthusiast and spend a great deal of time on YouTube, you must’ve come across Jay Leno’s Garage. Jay Leno’s collection goes from motorcycles to exclusive cars that you might’ve never heard of. The way he reviews them shows how much he knows about automobiles and his interest in sharing the knowledge.
Thanks to his career in show business and an ever-lasting passion for automobiles, Jay has assembled one of the greatest private collections of cars and motorcycles in the world. It goes without saying that his garage is home to some of the tastiest automobiles in existence. The spectrum of cars in his possession is so diverse that an old 1909 Stanley Steamer shares the space with one of the most expensive cars in the world, the McLaren F1.
The McLaren F1 was Gordon Murray’s vision of a light and powerful automobile that stood as the ultimate expression of a road car. With top names like Ron Dennis (former owner of McLaren) and Peter Stevens involved, it didn’t take long for Gordon Murray’s exquisite creation to become a part of the history books.
Aside from being one of, if not, the most expensive car in Jay Leno’s garage, this chassis number 15 item is probably among the most driven as well. His McLaren F1 is one of 25 examples completed in 1994.
Jay’s McLaren F1 Has An Interesting History
This McLaren F1 was purchased new by former Dutch racing driver, Ben Pon Jr. After a successful racing career and having acquired the oldest wine negotiating business in the Netherlands, Ben Pon Jr. kept chassis number 015 for around a year before selling it to Jay Leno, who reportedly bought the car for $800,000! A steal in today’s market.
As you might know, things of the past are getting expensive. Not everything but the stuff of value and desire. By value, we mean the sort of package you get in the F1. For starters, the McLaren F1 is a highly exclusive model. When launched in 1993, production was limited to just 106 units. Out of these, a hefty chunk met with accidents and has been restored. So you could imagine the worth of an F1 with a clean title.
One of the important aspects of the McLaren F1 was its naturally-aspirated engine. Gordon Murray had intentions to source the engine from Honda but failed to convince them and instead opted to have a BMW motor. The engine in question is a 6.1L V12 developed by BMW’s M division, producing 618 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque—all in a package that weighs 2,579 pounds. Internally called the S70/2, the engine was 14% more powerful and 35 pounds heavier than Gordon Murray’s specification. The S70/2 revved to 7,500 rpm and gave the F1 an astonishing power-to-weight ratio of 550 hp/ ton.
While we took to explain one of the most expensive cars in Jay’s garage, it’s worth noting that his collection includes a $1.35 million McLaren P1— now worth significantly more than list, a $1.8 million 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, a 1963 Chrysler Turbine worth $415,000, and many more. All told, Jay owns approximately 180 cars and 160 motorcycles estimated to be worth a whopping $52 million!
What Makes The McLaren F1 So Desirable And Expensive?
The McLaren F1 used expensive materials such as carbon fiber, titanium, gold, magnesium, and Kevlar in its construction to achieve optimum thermal efficiency while being extremely light. The F1 was one of the first production cars to use a carbon-fiber monocoque chassis. On top of that, the McLaren F1 has the perfect formula to entice an enthusiast. A screaming V12, a 6-speed manual, a central driving position, and an uninterrupted driving experience. The McLaren F1 is a pure driver’s car—it has no ABS or traction control. It doesn’t even have power steering!
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Not a lot of automobiles, even today, stand a chance against the F1 in terms of performance. The McLaren F1 had a top speed of 240 mph! This was at a time when sports cars barely did 200 mph. The level of sophistication and engineering went into the F1 is unlike anything else at the time.
Sure, you have Koenigseggs and Bugattis in terms of sophistication, but the F1 was an engineering marvel with simplicity at its forefront. It did not have a megawatt of power, nor did it weigh 4000 pounds; things were simple yet purposeful—something you don’t see a lot these days.
It’s hard to put a price on the McLaren F1, with the market generally demanding eight-figure sums starting in the early tens to the late teens—sometimes even more, depending on the condition, history, mileage, etc. One F1 LM went for $19.8 million in 2019! Jay’s F1 is estimated to be worth around $12 million today.
Sources: McLaren