The first Gordon Murray S1 LM built has been sold for $20,630,000 (£15.76 million), a new record the most expensive new car ever sold at auction.
The RM Sotheby’s sale in Las Vegas, US saw the S1 LM arrived suspended from a helicopter, but the real drama began when bidding started.
As one of only five S1 LMs to be made, this very first car exceeded the previous record price paid for a new car at auction that was set by a Bugatti Chiron Profilée.
Shelby Myers, Head of Private Sales at RM Sotheby’s, said: ‘There are cornerstone cars found in major collections around the world, from the 300SL to the F40. Even the McLaren F1, which many consider to be one of the greatest automobiles every created, was still a production model. The S1 LM is something entirely different.
‘It comes from the same mind, Gordon Murray, but without production constraints and created exactly to his vision. One of five and fully bespoke, it stands at a higher level of significance in modern collecting. It is a true holy grail and one of the most important modern supercars ever built.’
The S1 LM is powered by a 4.3-liter Cosworth V-12 producing 700 horsepower at 12,100rpm with a six-speed manual gearbox. With a targeted dry weight of 957 kilograms, the car is a return to true lightweight engineering and mechanical purity. Every surface of the body is shaped from carbon fibre, engineered for strength and efficiency. The Inconel exhaust, wrapped in 18 karat gold foil, recalls the F1’s groundbreaking heat management.
Image courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
