Bill Gates ruling?

just found this internet article on the sale of 011.
It featured in AutoExpress, an english magazine. I do think the quoting is accurate, but i'm curious how they interpeted the Bill Gates ruling thing. Wasn't bill gates into 959's? Or has he got a McLaren F1 after all. I hope i will soon be in the position of asking somebody who might know. I'll let you guys know

The article:
It has 6,300 miles on the clock and has had two very careful owners - but this isn't the sort of used car you see in the classifieds. It's the first McLaren F1 ever to go under the hammer in Britain, and a mystery buyer has just bid £535,000 to become owner number three.

But he or she, who will have paid nearer £600,00 by the time the auctioneer's fee is added to the bill, has secured a unique car. It has a refitted interior, tuned engine, Le Mans-style GTR bodykit - including that outrageous rear wing - and the exclusive F1 MAC plate. The upper estimate had been £650,000, but seller Christie's said the final amount was good given the economic climate.

"There has been increased US interest because the McLaren F1 can now be driven there following the Gates Ruling," said a spokesman. This case featured Microsoft boss Bill Gates, who apparently wanted an F1 so badly he got American emissions legislation amended to allow the supercar across the Atlantic.

If Bill Gates owned this vehicle, why was it located and sold in the UK ?.

This case featured Microsoft boss Bill Gates, who apparently wanted an F1 so badly he got American emissions legislation amended to allow the supercar across the Atlantic.

the previous owner had the car in the UK-idk prolly lived there. but this is saying that bill gates bought the car and is having it shipped across the atlantic to the US. doesn't surprise me that he would spend that kinda money, infact, i'd think he could prolly buy all 100 F1's.

you guys don't know the history. Cars have to be approved to get a license plate. And EPA emission regulations are stricter than europese, so europese supercars like 959/F1 are illegal. It's common knowledge that Bill Gates wanted a 959 as a road legal car, but it was illegal, so he lobbyed and there was something called S&D, show and display. it is for exclusive rare special cars without type-approval. But i don't know whether he has an F1 as well.

This doesn't make any sense to me.

Anyway, I thought that the index number of F1 MAC, was owned by McLaren themselves.

nope, it wasn't. McLaren has some dealer plates (049 PF for instance) and K8 MCL or K4 MCL

this wasn't owned by bill gates by the way.

There was a very good article in an Autoweek here in the US about Bill Gates and the 959. It listed the type of cars that couldn't be driven here, what kind of cars were the show/race types. It also had some info for XJ220's of which according to the article 2 in the US.
This was a few years ago so. It was a really good article and a few pages long. It was Autoweek for sure, not sure of the issue though (52 a year)
Chris

nope, it wasn't. McLaren has some dealer plates (049 PF for instance) and K8 MCL or K4 MCL
Thanks Maarten :)

So Bill Gates registered his McLaren here in the UK did he, because the index of F1 MAC is British.

yeah i read it, the F1 wasn't mentioned as a car bill gates owned, but that doesn't mean he doesn't own one. i'll try to ask.

i'll try to ask.
You're going to ask Bill Gates ???????.

Just tried to find information on the net regarding cars owned by Bill G, but came up empty aside from this (http://www.anvari.org/fun/Computer/Bill_Gates_Car.html) :D

The article:
It has 6,300 miles on the clock and has had two very careful owners - but this isn't the sort of used car you see in the classifieds. It's the first McLaren F1 ever to go under the hammer in Britain, and a mystery buyer has just bid £535,000 to become owner number three.

But he or she, who will have paid nearer £600,00 by the time the auctioneer's fee is added to the bill, has secured a unique car. It has a refitted interior, tuned engine, Le Mans-style GTR bodykit - including that outrageous rear wing - and the exclusive F1 MAC plate. The upper estimate had been £650,000, but seller Christie's said the final amount was good given the economic climate.
If the article you've quoted from, is referring to the sale of December 2nd at Christies London, then the article is wrong.

The car that was sold at the December 2nd 2003 Christies auction, is pictured below :

http://www.motorsnippets.com/cars/December03_Auctions/graphics/Lot128.jpg

A stand-alone page on this vehicle, with full details of the car, can be found here (http://www.motorsnippets.com/auctionlots.asp?Lot=56747).

It sold for £731,250 including premium. Further details can be found at this site (http://www.motorsnippets.com/news_item.asp?articleid=393).

i'm sorry, we talk a lot but we understand a little.

i'm sorry, we talk a lot but we understand a little.
Don't understand what you mean :)

Pretty soon I suspect this thread is going to suppose that Gates actually dreamed up the entire McLaren F1 concept instead of Gordon Murray... :lol2:

Ok, as far as anyone knows, Bill Gates does not own a McLaren F1. He certainly didn't own #011, and he didn't own #073 pictured above when they went to auction. I also doubt he was the purchaser of either of those cars when the hammer fell at the auction, though #073 is coming to America with the buyer currently a mystery. Speculate all you want - there are at least two people on this forum who probably know the real name of the new owner.

The AutoExpress article quoted at the start of this thread is wrong. The Show & Display legislation (commonly referred to as "Bill Gates' Law") was not enacted because of Gates' desire to import an F1, but more than likely concerned his battle with several government agencies to allow the importation of one or two Porsche 959's. You can read a little bit more detail here (http://www.ferraris-online.com/Articles/SCM_9912.html).

I think the AutoExpress article just got a little tongue twisted when mentioning Gates' involvement in allowing cars like the F1 to be imported to the US. It does end up reading like he is closely involved with this particular car, but again that isn't the case as far as I'm aware.

CeeJay - the article here is about 1 year old and refers to the sale of chassis #011, a blue road car wearing the LM-Kit. It sold last year at about the same time at a similar Christies auction. Thanks for the new pics of #073 though. :cool:

>8^)
ER

Peloton is correct. The 073 car was not purchased by Bill Gates.

dammit. i hate this. just click this:

http://speed.supercars.net/boardpics/2003-10-12/1684863-mini%20magica.jpg

dammit. i hate this. just click this:

http://speed.supercars.net/boardpics/2003-10-12/1684863-mini%20magica.jpg
So in which Christies sale was that car offered ?.

PS: If you screw up one of your posts, you can delete it, or edit it :)

I heard awhile back that bill gate had three McLarens. Now I dont know if any of them are LM or just F1 but im almost positive he has more than one at least. I mean come on Leno has one.

Bill doesn't exactly seem to be very private about his cars. With all the reports floating around, atleast one of them one would have reported it. You don't just leave out the fact that he owns the fastest production car in the world.

I heard awhile back that bill gate had three McLarens. Now I dont know if any of them are LM or just F1 but im almost positive he has more than one at least. I mean come on Leno has one.
Yeah but Leno's a motoring guy and Gates isn't.

Somehow I don't think the F1 would hold the same appeal to Mr Microsoft as the 959 did. I mean that was a technological showcase and is still ahead of its time whereas the F1 was the complete solution to a single problem.

I'm no expert, but I'd see Mr Gates as a cutting edge gizmo fan rather than a buyer of second-hand 10 year old cars...

So in which Christies sale was that car offered ?
The one that the article in the 1st post is talking about

PS: If you screw up one of your posts, you can delete it, or edit it :)

Don't go there :grinno: :sunglasse :lol2: :thefinger

http://www.motorsnippets.com/cars/December03_Auctions/graphics/Lot128.jpgSlight tangent here, but OH MY GOD that car is sex on wheels.

I am rarely reduced to basic words and having my tongue tied, but WOW...

I heard awhile back that bill gate had three McLarens. Now I dont know if any of them are LM or just F1 but im almost positive he has more than one at least. I mean come on Leno has one.

Gates owning a McLaren is just another piece of internet folklore as far as I'm aware. He definitely does not own three, and if someone could actually prove he owns one I would be very surprised.

>8^)
ER

Hello,

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Ciao
Phil