Senna's 1991 McLaren MP4/6 is up for sale

If you really, really want to own a piece of motorsport history and aren't content with a helmet worn by Lewis Hamilton or a glove once worn by Max Verstappen, then RM Sotheby's upcoming auction of Ayrton Senna's old 1991 McLaren MP4/6 might be something for you. The F1 car is as iconic as a race car can be, owned by a private collector in Dubai and is currently on sale for a price of between $12-15 million.

Sothebys:
"Chassis MP4/6/1 wasn't just the car that delivered Senna his famous first home win. It was also the first of the series, and the car that gave the Brazilian his first taste of the new MP4/6 when he tested it alongside Gerhard Berger at Estoril in February 1991. The car itself was a masterpiece of engineering delivered by Chief Designer Neil Oatley under the technical direction of Gordon Murray. It featured an all-new 3.5-litre V-12 engine capable of producing 720 horsepower and spinning to a screaming 13,800 rpm, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, all housed in a carbon fibre monocoque chassis and clothed with carbon fibre bodywork. Nearly 35 years later, the MP4/6 remains an analogue dream, emblematic of one of the most celebrated eras in Formula 1.

With eight Grand Prix victories and concurrent Drivers' and Constructors' Championships under its belt, the MP4/6 bookended one of McLaren's most successful periods in modern competition. It will forever be the model that gave Senna his final World Championship and represents the last time the World Championship would be won by a car with both a manual gearbox and a V-12 engine. In a world of change, it was the best of a dying breed. Chassis MP4/6-1 is the most exalted for its historic role in one of the greatest of all Grand Prix drives by one of the greatest Grand Prix drivers of all. Surely one of McLaren's most treasured possessions, it is remarkable that this almost mythical car was ever allowed to escape the factory's gravity, but escape it did, being acquired by the consignor in 2020. Prior to being sold, chassis MP4/6-1 was fully recommissioned to race-ready condition by McLaren Heritage and was subsequently entrusted to marque specialist Paul Lanzante Ltd for a fluid change, service, and static start-up. It will return to Lanzante Ltd (McLaren Petersfield) for a further inspection and startup before being delivered to its new owner, while it is offered with a McLaren Certificate of Authenticity plus all the necessary starting equipment, including external starter, water tower, remote dash, fuel primer, and engine pre-heater."