VIN: the Thomas Bscher / Miles Collier McLaren F1 chassis 022
History of chassis 022
Chassis 022 was the 21st McLaren F1 built and one of 26 completed in 1994.
It was ordered by German banker, Thomas Bscher, and was originally painted Genesis Dark Blue. The interior was reputedly green with a yellow driver’s seat insert.
At the time, Bscher worked for Sal Opperheim whom he had joined in 1986 after stints at Deutsche Bank and Brown Brothers.
Bscher drove 022 from his home in Cologne to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange practically every day and frequently hit over 200mph on the German autobahns.
In addition to his day job, Bscher started racing in the BPR GT Championship in 1994. That first season, he competed with a Porsche 968 Turbo RS (chassis 820065). However, what he really wanted was a GT racing version of the McLaren.
Together with fellow F1 owner, Ray Bellm, Bscher lobbied Ron Dennis to produce such a car.
Dennis ultimately agreed to the requests and the F1 GTR was born.
Equipped with his new McLaren (chassis 03R), Bscher and co-driver, John Nielsen, were crowned the 1995 Global and European GT champions.
Bscher left Sal Opperheim in 1995 to focus full time on racing. He retained his F1 GTR into 1996 and replaced it with chassis 22R (a Long Tail) for 1997 and 1998.
In 1998, Bscher became European GT Champion with co-driver Geoff Lees. This second GTR was in turn replaced with an ex-works BMW V12 LM (chassis 001/98) for 1999 and 2000.
Bscher withdrew from international racing at the end of 2000, but continued to sporadically compete in historics.
In December 2003, he joined the Volkswagen Group as President of Bugatti and oversaw the introduction of the Veyron.
Earlier in 2003, Bscher had sold 022 to Floridian industrialist, Miles Collier, who spent $300,000 having the car overhauled at McLaren. 022 was comprehensively refurbished and the colour was switched to metallic green with a two-tone tan and green interior.
During the 1930s, Collier’s father and uncle, Miles and Sam, were credited with introducing sports car racing to the United States. Collier’s grandfather was a New York advertising magnate who owned 1.3 million acres of prime property along Florida‘s southwest coast.
In 1986, Miles Collier acquired the 50-strong collection of family friend, Briggs Cunningham, which included the first Ferrari racing car sold in the United States and one of six Bugatti Royales.
In 2008, Collier established the Revs Institute, a not-for-profit collection of over 100 motor cars together with an important archive.
Today, 022 is on display at the Revs Institute at 2500 S. Horseshoe Drive, Naples, Florida 34104.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peter Harholdt / Revs Institute - https://revsinstitute.org/
