A rare supercar for the road, the McLaren F1 Chassis No. 037 arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport in Mauritius on 18 September from London Gatwick Airport. With the model often described as the greatest car of all time, and famous owners including Lewis Hamilton, Elon Musk and Jay Leno, the McLaren F1 will be a star exhibit in the Milestones Motor Museum when it opens its doors to the public in late 2026.
Black River, 18 September 2025: Milestones Limited has announced the arrival in Mauritius of the 1995 McLaren F1 Chassis No. 037, which is set to become a major attraction of the Milestones Motor Museum, which is currently under construction in Beaux Songes.
This exceptional supercar, which was part of the Milestones Collection in the UK, was flown into Mauritius from London Gatwick Airport to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, and landed on the tarmac at 06.50 on 18 September.
The McLaren F1 will form part of a unique collection of over 200 vintage and classic cars to be housed and displayed in the Milestones Motor Museum. Milestones is owned and funded in perpetuity by the Star & Key Foundation, a Mauritian foundation entirely funded by Terry Smith, who has donated the car collection to it and who is supervising the construction and operation of the Museum.
The fastest production car in the world for over a decade
The McLaren F1 was created by legendary designer and engineer Gordon Murray, who designed the McLaren Formula One cars, whose goal was to create the ultimate road car. Only 62 road cars were ever produced, from 1992 to 1998, and it was the fastest production car in the world for over a decade. The car was built with no speed limit, and has been tested at a road speed of 385 km/h.
The McLaren F1 enjoyed significant racing success, with its GTR version beating purpose-built race cars to win outright the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours Race in 1995.
A true grand tourer
The McLaren F1 is a three-seater vehicle which is a true grand tourer (gran turismo), recognised for its ideal blend of performance and luxury with high speed and long-distance driving. The driver’s seat and steering wheel are in the middle of the car, which has a six-speed manual gearbox and two rear view mirrors. It has dihedral butterfly doors which move up and out when opened.
It is lightweight as compared to its competitors, as the world’s first carbon-fibre monocoque car. It is a fully analogue vehicle, with no driver aids such as traction control, ABS, power brakes or power steering. The engine compartment is even lined with gold leaf, acting as a heat shield.
Introducing the Chassis No. 037
The Chassis No. 037, which has landed in Mauritius to feature in the collection, is unique in the world as it is the only McLaren F1 to have a full alcantara interior. According to documentary evidence, the vehicle had caught the eye of the Chairman of McLaren, Mr Ron Dennis, who asked for it to be tailored to his own specifications for his personal use. He later changed his mind and picked another vehicle for himself, and so a car enthusiast from Germany became the first owner, who took it to Monaco.
In subsequent years, records show that the vehicle passed through owners in South Africa and the USA, before returning to the UK – where it was awarded in the prestigious Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance 2020 – and later becoming part of the Milestones collection.
Terry Smith: “It is the ultimate driving experience”
Speaking about the arrival of the McLaren F1 in Mauritius, Terry Smith commented:
“The McLaren F1 has been described by a number of commentators as the greatest road car of all time, an opinion I share. Designed by Gordon Murrray, a man for whom the description “genius” may not be hyperbole, without any limits or constraints and with input from the late Ayrton Senna. The result is a car which can exceed 390 km/h and yet carry three passengers, their luggage and even a golf bag”.
“It is the ultimate driving experience insofar as there are no driver aids – no anti-lock brakes, traction control, AWD or even power steering or brakes. In my opinion, such a car will never be built again. Its GTR version won the Le Mans 24 Hours Race. Only 62 road cars were built and the list of owners has included Lewis Hamilton, Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Rowan Atkinson, Ralph Lauren, Jay Leno and the Sultan of Brunei, and of course Milestones. An F1 first owned by Larry Ellison was sold at a sealed auction a few weeks ago for an estimated $23 million,” he concluded.
