Freshly-restored F1 #063 to premiere at Hampton Court Concours d’Elegance

McLaren Special Operations (MSO) is set to premiere its recently restored McLaren F1 #063 at the Hampton Court Concours d’Elegance on September 6-8.

Following on from the announcement of the McLaren F1 Certification programme at last year’s prestigious event, MSO returns with its newest project. As custodians of the F1 legacy, MSO continues to develop and manufacture parts to ensure that every F1 remains an icon of the road for many years to come.

Chassis 63 has undergone a painstaking restoration over a period of 18-months. Initially the body and drivetrain were stripped from the car. The interior was then re-trimmed in the original Semi Aniline leather, which was a one-off for this car. It is finished in Woking Grey – a colour reportedly inspired by the often slate-coloured English sky above McLaren’s then premises on Albert Drive, close to the current location of MSO – using 10 hand-selected hides to meet MSO’s stringent quality standards.

Woking Grey Alcantara® was used on the dashboard and the perforated passenger seats. The driver’s seat was re-trimmed in Woking Grey leather with a red perforated Alcantara® centre panel. The Woking Grey carpets were all renewed and the over mats were finished with a grey leather piping. Finally, the steering wheel was replaced from MSO’s stock of original parts, with the original retained by the owner for historical reference.

Once the interior was re-trimmed, the exterior body panels were re-fitted to chassis 63, repainted in the original Magnesium Silver paint to a meticulously high standard, a process that took nearly 900 hours to complete.

Whilst the body and interior were being restored, the car’s 6.1-litre normally-aspirated engine was completely rebuilt. Once finished, the engine was dyno tested to ensure that it generates the still-impressive 618 bhp capable of powering the McLaren F1 to 243mph before being re-installed in the car.

F1 #063’s dampers were sent back to Bilstein for refurbishment and the driveshafts and hubs were also sent back to the original supplier for rebuild. The final work was completed to provide the F1 Certification for the car to catalogue its provenance.

The restoration was completed in June following almost 3,000 hours of work including final road and track testing. Once work on chassis 63 was completed it was handed over to the owner at the McLaren Technology Centre.

As with every McLaren F1 in the Certification programme, #063 now has its own unique Certificate of Authenticity – which McLaren Automotive is the only body in the world able to issue – authenticating its provenance, originality, service life, road/race history and condition. Conformity with the original specification and to any McLaren-sanctioned upgrades is confirmed by reference to the factory archives.

The owner of chassis 63 is now in possession of a bespoke illustrated book documenting the history of their car as well as a Genesis Speed Form; a 3D laser-scanned McLaren F1 distilled into a scale model to give the essence of the car, which was originally built at Genesis Business Park in Woking.

In total, 106 McLaren F1s were built between 1993-98, among them 64 standard road cars and 28 GTR race cars, and every one is eligible for the scheme.

“Just 12 months ago we announced the MSO McLaren F1 Heritage programme with the unveiling of F1 25R, resplendent in Gulf Racing Colours. Following an extensive restoration, which was very much a labour of love for our team, it’s an honour to now display chassis 63 at the Hampton Court Concours d’Elegance. With the work the team has carried out, this car will continue to fulfil the original brief for the McLaren F1; to create the world’s finest road car.”
Ansar Ali, Managing Director, McLaren Special Operations.