VIN: the Herb Chambers / Lewis Hamilton McLaren F1 chassis 044
History of chassis 044
Constructed in late 1995, chassis 044 was the 37th McLaren F1 road car built.
Painted Base Silver, the car remained unsold at the factory until August 1996, when it was purchased by American industrialist, Herb Chambers.
After serving in the US military, Chambers made his first fortune in the copier business. He established A-Copy America which soon became the world’s largest Minolta and Canon dealer.
After he sold A-Copy for a reported $80m in 1983, Chambers stayed on as a consultant for two years. He then accumulated a group of 60 automotive dealerships in the greater Boston area and became a billionaire.
Chambers purchased 044 on an invitational visit to the McLaren factory in August 1996. Once the sale was agreed, McLaren had the car road registered (P354 JXP) so Chambers and two companions could set off on a 4500-mile European road trip.
Afterwards, 044 returned to the factory prior to being dispatched to the USA.
Its destination was Ameritech, the Connecticut Federalisation lab run by Dick Fritz. Here it was made US compliant with a series of reversible modifications. Ameritech carried out similar conversions on another six F1s.
Throughout his ownership, Herb Chambers had the McLaren maintained and serviced by BMW North America at the National Workshop-East, Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Chambers sold 044 at Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction in August 2017, by which time it had covered 9600 miles.
It was purchased by then three-time F1 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, for $15.6m.
Prior to Mercedes-Benz, Hamilton drove six seasons for McLaren between 2007 and 2012. At the time, Hamilton had an agreement with McLaren boss, Ron Dennis, that should he deliver three F1 Driver titles, he would receive the factory’s F1 LM Prototype (chassis XP LM).
As it turned out, he only managed the one title for McLaren (2008) and had to buy his own F1.
New rules brought in for the 2014 F1 season allowed drivers to pick a unique car number to use for their entire career. Hamilton elected to drive under his old karting number, 44.
When McLaren F1 chassis 044 became available direct from the first owner, it must have seemed the best alternative to an unobtainable F1 LM.
The McLaren joined Hamilton’s US-based collection which included a Ferrari LaFerrari, AC Shelby Cobra 427, Shelby Mustang GT500 and Mercedes-Benz AMG GT-R.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Bonhams - https://www.bonhams.com/
