Tom Hartley Jnr entrusted with the sale of a once-in-a-lifetime automotive legacy
Tom Hartley Jnr Ltd, globally respected for its discreet handling of the world’s rarest and most desirable cars, has been appointed by the Ojjeh family to manage the sale of a truly peerless automotive collection: the late Mansour Ojjeh’s 20-car assemblage of McLaren road cars.
Following the landmark sale of Bernie Ecclestone’s 69-strong Formula 1 collection earlier this year, this latest assignment sees Tom Hartley Jnr once again at the centre of motorsport history — this time with a collection that embodies the very DNA of McLaren, assembled by one of its principal architects.
A Life in Racing, a Legacy in Engineering
Mansour Ojjeh’s influence on Formula 1 — and McLaren in particular — is immeasurable. As the driving force behind TAG’s investment in McLaren in 1984, he not only helped reshape the team’s competitive future but also laid the foundation for its transition from a racing outfit into a broader technology and automotive powerhouse.
Under Ojjeh’s stewardship, McLaren won seven Constructors’ and ten Drivers’ Championships, while also launching McLaren Automotive and McLaren Applied Technologies. He was not merely a financier or figurehead; he was a visionary, a passionate connoisseur, and a meticulous creator with an eye for perfection.
It was this same commitment to excellence that guided his creation of what is now known as the Last of Legends — a personal collection of McLaren road cars without equal, both in provenance and execution.
A Curated Vision of Perfection
The Last of Legends collection is unlike anything ever assembled under one roof. It includes every major McLaren model — from the iconic F1 to the Speedtail, P1, Senna, Elva, Sabre, and a range of ultra-rare Longtail and Le Mans editions. But beyond the list of names lies a deeper story of curation, provenance, and purpose.
Each vehicle in the collection was hand-specified by Mansour himself. Every car features the final chassis number for its production run — a detail that not only denotes rarity but signifies that each car includes the full suite of technical refinements accrued during development. Save for the F1 (with just 1,810km) and the P1 GTR (used sparingly for McLaren track events), every car remains in as-delivered condition, untouched and maintained exclusively by McLaren under a bespoke programme designed for Ojjeh — a privilege never extended to any other private collector.
The jewel of the collection is the final McLaren F1 ever produced, finished in a unique colour originally named Yquem, after the legendary French dessert wine. In honour of Mansour’s deep personal connection to McLaren, the colour was later renamed Mansour Orange — a rich, glowing hue used exclusively for his cars.
A Farewell Guided by Passion and Integrity
Speaking on behalf of the Ojjeh family, Mansour’s widow Kathy offered heartfelt insight into what the collection represents:
“McLaren meant so much to Mansour. It was more than business; it was pure passion… The ‘Last of Legends’ collection is a treasure for our family – a reminder of the hours we witnessed Mansour designing each car to his specifications… Parting with this very personal collection is not easy, but it is time for it to go to its new custodian, one who truly ‘gets it’.”
She added:
“We are very grateful to Tom Hartley Jnr for providing us with the highly professional framework within to sell this collection, as we know Tom truly understands the collection’s intrinsic value and is also one whose passion for beautiful automobiles surpasses most.”
A Responsibility Unlike Any Other
For Tom Hartley Jnr, the assignment is both a professional milestone and a personal honour:
“Offering this collection for sale would be extraordinary in its own right, but the fact that it comes from the home of one of McLaren Automotive’s founding figures, a man so instrumental in McLaren’s Formula 1 success, makes it truly unrepeatable… Being entrusted with the sale of Mansour Ojjeh’s McLaren collection is akin to handling Enzo Ferrari’s Ferraris or Ferdinand Porsche’s Porsches.”
Hartley highlights the singularity of each car, noting that every example in the collection is the final production model of its kind. Perhaps most moving is the Elva — the only car delivered posthumously — which McLaren adorned with Mansour’s personal emblem in place of their own. A quiet but powerful tribute from a brand he helped build.
“This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled,” Hartley concluded. “And I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer, just as the Ecclestone Grand Prix collection was earlier this year.”
More Than Machines
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, summed up the broader significance:
“Mansour was a founding father of McLaren as we know it today… His collection is very special. I’m not aware of anything else that compares with it.”
Indeed, the Last of Legends is more than a fleet of exceptional cars. It is the physical manifestation of a dream long in the making. From his early days with icons like the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari 250 California Spyder to his crowning achievement — commissioning the greatest road car in history — Mansour Ojjeh didn’t just own great cars. He shaped them, curated them, and made them personal.
A Timeless Legacy, Ready for Its Next Chapter
The Last of Legends is now seeking its next custodian. This is not merely a sale — it is the careful passing of a torch. From the hands of a man who helped redefine motorsport and performance engineering, to someone who will carry that passion into the future.
In Mansour Ojjeh’s own words, echoed by every machine in this extraordinary garage: never compromise. Only create what has never been done before — and do it with love.
