VIN: the Ron Dennis / Sinaloa Cartel McLaren F1 chassis 039
History of chassis 039
Manufactured in 1995, F1 chassis 039 was built for McLaren CEO, chairman and founder, Ron Dennis.
Painted Brazilian Brown Metallic with a matching brown interior, 039 was completed in late 1995.
However, Ron’s wife, Lisa, was reputedly not a fan of the colour and Dennis instead took delivery of a Magnesium Silver example (chassis 050). Prior to this, he had retained 003 as his personal car.
Chassis 039 was kept at the factory until it was purchased by a UK customer who only retained it for a short time.
McLaren then found a Mexican buyer for 039 in 1997. The wheels were repainted gold and the car was delivered via Texas.
By 2004, the car was in Culiacan, Mexico. It had reputedly been purchased by a high ranking member of a drug cartel.
Culiacan is the base for Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel which, since the late 1980s, has been considered the most powerful drug trafficking organisation in the world. Primarily involved in the smuggling and distribution of narcotics into the US, the cartel is run by the family of Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman who is currently incarcerated in New York.
In May 2004, chassis 039 was photographed in Culiacan wearing the UK registration number P440 CPJ. This same plate was also issued to the ex-Fayed / Harrods F1 GTR chassis 06R in December 1996. Quite how the two cars came to carry the same registration is a mystery.
Shortly after it was spotted in Culiacan, 039’s owner is understood to have been killed in a firefight and the car has not been seen since. It is reputedly stored under armed guard somewhere in rural Sinaloa missing its keys and documentation.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
