In April 1995, McLaren was approached by Japanese businessman Motokazu Sayama, who wanted his company, Ueno Clinic, to sponsor a car at the Le Mans 24 Hours. With no space available on existing entries, McLaren entered its development prototype, chassis 01R, running it with factory support alongside Lanzante Motorsport in a black and grey livery under the Kokusai Kaihatsu Racing banner. A deal was made allowing Sayama to purchase the car after the race unless it won—but against expectations, drivers JJ Lehto, Yannick Dalmas, and Masanori Sekiya secured a famous overall victory, meaning the car remained with McLaren.
Instead of acquiring the race car, Sayama was given a matching McLaren F1 road car, chassis 043, at a discounted price. This car was uniquely finished in Blue Black Metallic (Color was named "Blue Black Mett" in its owner manual) with grey accents to mirror the Le Mans winner and featured an all-black interior with leather, carpet, and dark grey Alcantara. The color was inspired by Motokazu's Mercedes-Benz 500SL.
As the 36th F1 built and one of only 14 produced in 1995, it was also one of just five black examples and the only one in that specific finish. After spending around 15 years in Japan, the car returned to the UK with fewer than 3,000 miles on it.
Thank you, Jasper Poon and Erik Reynalds, for confirming the color name and providing more background.
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