Nick Mason’s 1996 McLaren F1 GTR Heads to Auction at Over $35 Million

Q: Why is Pink Floyd's drummer finally selling his one-of-a-kind McLaren F1 GTR?

There is no confirmed public explanation from Nick Mason for why he is selling the car now. The reporting and supporting material make clear that Mason is consigning his 1996 McLaren F1 GTR, chassis 10R, to RM Sotheby’s, where it is expected to bring more than $35 million. They also explain why the car is so valuable: it is the first 1996-spec F1 GTR, a factory development prototype, the only one with its original “pop art” livery, and it has had a single private owner with continuous specialist care. What the available coverage does not provide is a direct statement from Mason tying the sale to a specific motive. The closest relevant comment is his broader remark that he has “sort of retired from motor racing” and is not entirely comfortable being “an 80-year-old on the grid.” That suggests age and a step back from active driving may be factors, but it does not explicitly explain the decision to sell this particular road-converted McLaren. So the factual answer is that Mason is selling it, but the reason has not been publicly stated in the material available. Any stronger claim would be speculation.

3 articles · Updated · Robb Report · Jul 21

RM Sotheby’s will offer Nick Mason’s 1996 McLaren F1 GTR at its Monterey sale on August 12-15, with an estimate above $35 million.
Just 28 F1 GTRs were built over three years, and Mason’s chassis 10R is the first of nine 1996 examples and one of only two short-tail cars.
McLaren converted the Le Mans-spec racer for road use, removing air restrictors from its BMW 6.0-liter V-12, raising the suspension, and adding mufflers and passenger seats.
The car is the only F1 GTR with a factory scarlet-and-yellow livery; Mason bought it directly from McLaren in 1999 and has kept it for nearly three decades.
A sale above $35 million would set a McLaren auction record, topping the $25.3 million paid for a 1994 McLaren F1 late last year.