Kimi Räikkönen’s 2006 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/21 Formula 1 car led the results at the Bonhams Abu Dhabi 2023 classic car auction.
Bonhams Abu Dhabi Sale 2023
Bonhams Abu Dhabi collector car auction: at the Yas Marina Circuit on 25 November 2023 during the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend. Bonhams earned $13.6 million in the sale, well below the expected $20 million as Mario Andretti’s 1978 John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79 Formula 1 single-seater racing car, chassis 79/4, failed to sell.
Top Results at the Bonhams Abu Dhabi 2023 Sale
The top results at the Bonhams Abu Dhabi 2023 classic car auction were:
| Year | Car | $ |
| 2006 | McLaren-Mercedes-Benz MP4/21 | 2,760,000 |
| 1993 | Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrerar RSR 3.8-litre Strassenversion | 2,127,500 |
| 2015 | Porsche 918 Spyder | 1,610,000 |
The top price for a car at the Bonhams Abu Dhabi 2023 sale was for a Formula 1 race car – Kimi Räikkönen’s 2006 McLaren-Mercedes MP4/21. The car, which has two podium finishes, is most famously remembered for an engine overheating that sent Kimi back to his yacht instead of the Team’s paddocks. The McLaren sold for US$2.76 million.
The 1993 Porsche 911 RSR was sold still in its original factory protective wax with just 10km on the odometer. This model was just one of two examples manufactured as ‘Strassenversion’ (street versions), under the Porsche special wishes bespoke automotive tailoring programme and sold for US$2.1 million.
In-person bidding on the track was competitive, particularly for the 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition Coupé, which sold for US$851,000 (estimate: $350,000-500,000) and the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder, which sold for US$1.6 million (estimate: US$1.25-1.5 million).
Top Car NOT Sold
The most expensive car on offer in the Bonhams Abu Dhabi sale failed to sell. Mario Andretti’s 1978 John Player Special Lotus-Cosworth Type 79 Formula 1 single-seater racing car, chassis 79/4, is the only Formula 1 car in existence in which an American driver secured the world drivers’ championship. It was offered in the sale with an estimate of US$6.5 – 9.5 million, which could have made it the fourth most expensive Formula 1 car ever.
