In 2021, McLaren lost one of its most influential figures in Mansour Ojjeh, a businessman who helped the company reach new heights in Formula 1 in the 1980s, and challenge the likes of Ferrari and Porsche as a creator of world-renowned supercars. It is no exaggeration to say that the brand wouldn’t be what it is today without Ojjeh, and that makes his collection of the firm’s greatest road cars, which will soon be sold by Tom Hartley Jnr, all the more special.
Ojjeh’s collection spans 19 cars, most in an identical shade of orange appropriately named “Mansour Orange.” Although it might look like a typical hue the company might offer in addition to its classic papaya, Mansour Orange couldn’t be ordered by anyone but the executive himself. Ojjeh notably also didn’t take delivery of these vehicles when they first hit the market; instead, he requested the very last unit in each of the models’ respective production runs, because they’d be the best, most refined versions.
The oldest we see on the Bahrain circuit here is no doubt the McLaren F1. It was the pinnacle of ’90s performance icons and served as an example of what the company could accomplish in road cars long before it formally became an automaker with the MP4-12C in 2010. This F1 has been driven just about 1,120 miles, which makes it unique among the rest of the group. Because aside from the P1 GTR that Ojjeh also owned, none of these cars have ever been driven before—except, perhaps, to stage them for this shot.
Not the Speedtail, which is strange to see here in a color that isn’t the steely blue many of us associate it with. Not the 720S Le Mans Edition, with its lovely monoblock five-spoke wheels, commemorating 25 years since the McLaren F1 GTR’s stunning win at the 1995 running of the 24-hour race. And not even the Elva, inspired by the Can-Am racers that founder Bruce McLaren also dominated in.
Two cars in the collection are notably more exposed carbon fiber than they are orange: A Senna with pops of color to evoke the Brazilian flag, and a 675LT Spider, which has papaya trim lining the front splitter, side skirts, and diffuser.
Tom Hartley Jnr recently sold F1 magnate Bernie Ecclestone’s collection of 69 Grand Prix cars for $646 million to Mark Mateschitz, whose father co-founded Red Bull. This McLaren collection assuredly won’t hit those heights, but it’s safe to predict it will go for a lot.
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