The Mclaren MP4/4

THERE ARE CERTAIN cars I look at that make my heart race, one of which is the legendary McLaren MP4/4. Having been born in 1997, I wasn’t old enough to watch the intense battles that Prost and Senna had in Formula One in the 1980s and 1990s — but am fortunate to have a dad who has all the old tapes! Prost and Senna won 15 out of the 16 races in the 1988 season, making the MP4/4 the most dominant car in Formula One until Red Bull beat it in 2023 with the RB19. It was great to see the ﬁerce racing that happened back then without electronic intervention. In my opinion, modern Formula One cars look too busy with their winglets and advanced aerodynamics, not to mention their massive size. Proportionally, the MP4/4 looks perfect in my eyes, which makes sense when you realize the car was designed by Gordon Murray.

Chassis 004 was acquired by the Audrain Collections in 2021. This speciﬁc chassis brought Prost three wins: France, Mexico, and the famous race at Monaco where Senna made an error and hit the wall. Once delivered to Newport from McLaren it was subsequently put on display at the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week at The Gathering. Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen and McLaren’s Zac Brown gave a presentation on the car and its importance to their history. Since then, the car has been on display a few times at the museum, proving to be a very popular vehicle. In 2023, the car was delivered to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where a McLaren Heritage test driver took it up the hill.

The car made its way back to the Festival of Speed again this past July for a special treat: Alain Prost
agreed to get behind the wheel for the ﬁrst time since Prost’s appearances in public are quite rare, so this was a big deal for him, Goodwood, McLaren, and Audrain. Seeing him drive was incredible. Hundreds of adoring fans surrounded the garage for a glimpse of the champion, with the lucky few receiving an autograph or a picture. The energy that surrounded him climbing into the car was indescribable. After his ﬁrst run up the hill, he quickly made it back to the garage to give the McLaren heritage team notes. Once a racer, always a racer.

His Grace, the Duke of Richmond, concluded the incredible weekend with a celebration for Prost at Goodwood House. He drove the MP4/4 up the driveway and was greeted by thousands. Seeing the MP4/4 in person is a treat; but seeing and hearing Prost drive the car is spectacular.

This summer, we shipped the car to California to be on display at Laguna Seca for the Monterey Historics and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Once again, the car proved to be very popular at both. We were extremely happy to take home 2nd in class and delighted to grace everyone’s eardrums as it drove across the ramp. It seems the car is universally loved and reminds people of one of the greatest eras in Formula One history. Hopefully, Prost can get behind the wheel again someday!