This charming video features reflections from McLaren Design Operations Manager Mark Roberts on his experience illustrating the elaborate owner’s manual for the McLaren F1. I drive a Kia, so obviously I know nothing about luxury sportscars, but this one from the 1990s is apparently fondly remembered. It’s very endearing to hear Roberts talk about the joy he took in executing these technical illustrations, and even how he managed to fit in a lot of personal touches—like a Bob Dylan reference—into a kind of work that is typically considered impersonal.
Here’s a look at the manual itself, which is quite impressive, maybe even intimidating.
Less than two hundred of these were ever printed, so they’ve naturally become highly desirable for collectors at the Venn intersection of design enthusiasts, the highly affluent, and people who just want what they want when they want it. If that’s you, you can acquire one here.
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