VIN: the Yoshikuni Okamoto McLaren F1 chassis 031
History of chassis 031
Chassis 031 was the 27th F1 production car built and one of 14 manufactured in 1995.
It was ordered by Japanese industrialist, Yoshikuni Okamoto of Kobe, whose family ran Okamoto Industries Inc.
The Okamoto Rubber Company was established in 1934, initially to manufacture rubberised clothing and raincoats. However, the firm quickly moved into the lucrative market for condoms. Today, Okamoto Industries Inc. trades throughout Asia and the Americas. It remains Japan’s number one condom manufacturer.
Yoshikuni Okamoto began collecting high end sports cars in the 1980s. Starting with a Ferrari 288 GTO, he went on to assemble one of the finest Ferrari collections in the world with a GTO Evoluzione, an F40 LM, an F50 GT, a 333 SP and several Ferrari Formula 1 cars. Okamato’s collection has also included an array of vintage Ferraris to include a 250 GTO plus many other European super sports cars.
Yoshikuni Okamoto configured chassis 031 in a unique shade variously known as Special White or Marlboro White. The interior was trimmed in black leather with a dark grey alcantara dash and matching passenger seat inserts. The driver’s seat had grey, red and white leather inserts. Red stitching was used throughout along with black carpet.
Only two F1s were originally painted white and both were commissioned by collectors in Japan (the other was chassis 053 which went to Yoshio Tsuzuki).
Okamoto retained chassis 031 until 2010, by which time it had covered less than 1000 miles.
Since then, the car has been owned by collectors in the USA and Europe.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
