VIN: the Sultan of Brunei McLaren F1 GT chassis 54 F1 GT
History of chassis 54 F1 GT
McLaren created the longer and wider F1 GT to homologate a high downforce GTR for the 1997 racing season. However, although McLaren went to much trouble to get the new road-going F1 GT type approved, only three examples were ever built.
Chassis 54 F1 GT was one of two units sold to McLaren VIP customers; it joined nine other F1s in the collection of the Brunei Royal Family.
As for the other pair, the prototype (chassis 56 XP GT) was retained by McLaren and chassis 58 F1 GT was sold to Japanese McLaren collector, Yoshio Tsuzuki.
In terms of 54 F1 GT, this tenth and final McLaren F1 destined for Brunei was configured in Black with 10% metal flake and arrived in South East-Asia mid-way through 1997 at which point it was registered BQ 7551. Aside from the occasional trip back to Woking, chassis 54 F1 GT has resided in Brunei ever since.
The ten McLarens (F1 chassis 002, 004, 005, 008 and 014, F1 LM chassis LM1, LM4 and LM5 and F1 GTR chassis 09R) were part of a roughly 2000-strong auto collection purchased by the Brunei royals between the mid 1980s and early 2000s.
Prior to this, smaller numbers of exotics had found their way to Brunei following the first major discovery of vast natural gas reserves in the late 1960s.
The families purchases went up a gear when the Sultan’s younger brother, Prince Jefri, became Brunei’s Minister of Finance in late 1986. Huge oil and natural gas reserves meant the royals were able to spend nearly £200m on high end cars every single year for nearly two decades.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: unattributed
