Helicopter-delivered Gordon Murray S1 LM sells for $20.6M, becoming the most expensive new car sold at auction
Published on Nov 25, 2025 at 5:44 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Nov 25, 2025 at 5:45 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
A stunning one-of-four Gordon Murray S1 LM sold at auction for a staggering $20.6 million, and is the most expensive new car sold at auction.
Gordon Murray Automotive launched its new Special Vehicles division earlier this year, and announced that it was working on the S1 LM.
The carmaker said just five of the special edition vehicles would be made.
And one has now set a new record after selling at auction during the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend.
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The stunning Gordon Murray S1 LM is now officially a record breaker
The Gordon Murray S1 LM was built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Murray designed McLaren F1 GTR 1995 Le Mans victory.
The beautiful vehicle is powered by a 4.3 liter Cosworth V12 engine that offers more than 700 horsepower and a mindboggling 12,100 rpm.
The beast of an engine is packed inside a superlight weight body, meaning the car weighs little over 2,100 pounds, and will be capable of flying around a track.
Gordon Murray Automotive revealed it was working on the car during Monterey Car Week in August, confirming that it would be building just five units.
A couple of weeks back, it was announced that the very first of these – the S1 LM Chassis #1 – was going under the hammer via RM Sotheby’s during the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix weekend.
The auction was touted as a true once-in-a-lifetime event, with the lucky winner getting the chance to ‘sit beside Professor Gordon Murray to create their dream specification’.
The car, dubbed The Special One, had a valuation of around $20,000,000.
But when it crossed the auction block on November 21, it managed to top that, attracting a winning bid of $20,630,000.
The sky-high sum means the S1 LM is the most expensive new car ever sold at auction.
The stunning car made a dramatic entrance
Of course, with a car as special as the S1 LM, hauling it in on a trailer was never going to do.
Instead, Gordon Murray Automotive arrived in a very fitting, and very Vegas-worthy, way: airlifted in by helicopter.
The dramatic entrance was watched on by a crowd of car-lovers, ahead of the main event, which saw ‘fierce bidding’ breakout between collectors both there in-person and online, culminating in the record-setting sale.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.