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Every car enthusiast's dream, regardless of where they're from, often revolves around one iconic car: the McLaren F1. And you'd be amazed to learn that only one of these has ever found its way to Australia. But this isn't just any car; it comes with its own Australian legend.
We've all heard urban myths, especially in the motoring world. One of the most whispered stories in Australian car circles is that of the McLaren F1, specifically chassis 009, and its unfortunate fate at the hands of a mechanic.
The legend is as intriguing as the car itself. Supposedly, Australia's sole McLaren F1 was taken to BMW Sydney for a regular service. A young mechanic, unable to resist the allure, is said to have taken it for a spin. With no prior experience handling the F1's immense power of 461kW and 650Nm, the story goes that he soon found himself crashing it against a light pole.
Sounds too dramatic to be true? Well, while the core of the tale is genuine, some details have been embellished over the years.
Let's rewind to the actual history of chassis 009. Produced in 1994, it was the eighth McLaren F1 to come out of Woking. Initially adorned in Magnesium Silver, its looks and ownership have changed over its 25-year history. Once owned by Dean Wills, the CEO of Coca-Cola Amatil in Australia at the time, he purchased the car in England during the '90s and then brought it to Australia. Thanks to the unique central seating of the F1, it neatly sidestepped regulations that make modern left-hand drive hypercars like the P1 and la Ferrari illegal on Australian streets. (UPDATE: in a recent Youtube video uploaded by DAMMNN BATM4N showing off "the Lee Collection" in WA it was revealed that there is a workshop in Sydney that can get anything registered in Australia and today there are a whole lot of special left hand drive cars road legal in Australia.)
As for the fateful night in 1997, it wasn't some overzealous junior but a senior tech from BMW Sydney who was at the wheel. With permission to drive this expensive marvel, the truth about the joyride emerges from the fact that this incident happened under the cover of darkness with two friends in tow. The actual identity of this mechanic? That remains a mystery to this day.
You might wonder: was the car totally destroyed? Not quite. Given the high value of F1s, McLaren always offers repair services, making any restoration worth the cost. This particular F1 was shipped back to Woking for repair and also received a paint upgrade to a darker shade of grey, with its wheels now matching the body color. At the time, the repair bill was just shy of $1 million - equivalent to about $1.9 million now. Some say it might be among the priciest repair jobs in Australia's history.
Ownership of chassis 009 changed again in 2005 when it was purchased by Tony Rafits. He reverted the wheels to their original color before selling the hypercar in a year. Barry Fitzgerald, the current owner and a successful businessman, has his own chapter in the 009 saga. In 2016, during the inaugural Epic New Zealand Road Tour, the car met with another accident, though the damages were minor.
Despite its tumultuous history, its value remains unaffected. Just consider the twice-crashed F1 owned by Rowan Atkinson that fetched a cool $16 million in 2015. And so, the legacy of Australia's lone McLaren F1 continues, wrapped in legend, history, and an undeniable aura of allure.
We made a video about this car on our YouTube page. Have a look at it below:
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