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Gordon Murray S1 LM becomes most expensive new car ever sold at auction

Helicopter delivered S1 LM sells for $20.6 million at Las Vegas event

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Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar parked on a stone drive courtyard outside a brick building surrounded by lavish landscaping right front three quarter view.
Gordon Murray

A Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar has sold for $20.6 million at an auction held during Las Vegas Grand Prix week, setting a new record for the highest price ever paid for a new car at auction. The sale took place on November 21. 2025, at the amfAR charity gala, where the first chassis from the five-car run was the star attraction.

The moment was staged for maximum impact. The S1 LM arrived suspended under a helicopter and dropped into the Wynn Las Vegas venue in front of bidders on site and around the world. A fast round of competitive offers pushed the car to a number that now sits at the top of the global charts for a new production vehicle sold at auction.

Record S1 LM sale and what made it stand out

Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar parked on a stone drive courtyard left profile view.
Gordon Murray

Gordon Murray Special Vehicles confirmed that Chassis 1 sold for $20,630,000, establishing a new benchmark for a non-charitable sale. This car is the final chassis from the five-unit production run, making it one of the rarest new supercars to cross an auction stage. The company positioned it as the first and most exclusive expression of Murray’s design principles, with a focus on lightweight engineering, a 4.3 litre V12 rated at 720 PS, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a body made from ultra-light carbon panels. The styling references the McLaren F1 GTR that won Le Mans in 1995, linking the project back to one of Murray’s most recognizable achievements.

Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar parked on a stone drive courtyard direct fontal view.
Gordon Murray

The buyer now enters a detailed specification process guided directly by Gordon Murray. That includes sessions to tailor every detail of the car, development drives with Dario Franchitti, and access to the engineering team as the car moves toward completion. The package also includes a 500-page monograph that documents the creation of the S1 LM from sketches to final development. Murray described the sale as a defining moment for the brand and a sign of the value placed on the engineering approach behind the car.

The remaining cars

Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar parked on a stone drive courtyard right rear three quarter view.
Gordon Murray

The S1 LM was first shown in August 2025 at Monterey Car Week, where all five cars were reportedly purchased by a single buyer. Aside from the record-setting sale of Chassis 1 in Las Vegas, Gordon Murray Special Vehicles has not released further information about the other four cars or their delivery timeline.

Gordon Murray S1 LM supercar parked on a stone drive courtyard direct rear view.
Gordon Murray
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Former Contributing Editor
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce… Read Full Bio
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