The Collection of One of the Founding Members of McLaren’s Automotive Division is Bound to be Special
The son of renowned Saudi businessman Akram Ojjeh, the late Mansour Ojjeh quickly became an influencial figure in the world of motorsport. In 1984, through his company Techniques d’Avant Garde, or TAG as it is famously known, he purchased a controlling share of the McLaren Formula One team and, using the might of newly commissioned TAG-Porsche engines, helped guide this team to new heights.
During his time at McLaren Racing, the thriving team secured seven Constructors’ Championships, providing the machinery for the likes of Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen and Lewis Hamilton to secure respective Drivers’ titles.
It was a chance meeting between Ojjeh, Ron Dennis and South African car designer Gordon Murray that prompted the founding of McLaren Automotive. Buoyed by a shared passion to create the “ultimate” road car, in 1992, this division presented the McLaren F1, a V12-powered road-legal vehicle still considered one of the finest ever created.
Mansour famously claimed the final production McLaren F1 for himself, commissioning it in “Yquem”, a colour inspired by the golden yellow hue of the rare French wine, Château d'Yquem. While McLaren would later rename this colour, Mansour Orange, after the only customer permitted to order it, the F1 would become the “jewel in the crown” of Ojjeh’s collection of every subsequent McLaren road car built before his death in 2021.
While the F1 currently has 1 810 km on the clock, and the P1 GTR has done some track work, the 18 remaining cars in the collection have yet to be driven and have been in the care of the manufacturer since each was commissioned. In keeping with tradition, each vehicle in the collection represents the final build number of its respective production run.
"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 Tom Hartley Jnr, the man commissioned to oversee the sale of this collection. "This is the most significant collection of McLaren road cars ever assembled. I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer.”
Ian McLaren has more than 25 years of experience as a motoring journalist. Here, he will be compiling a series of articles documenting his learning curve when it comes to all things auction. Find him on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok at @IanMcLaren76.
These articles aim to offer insights only and in no way encourage reckless or hit-and-miss purchasing decisions.