The arrival of the Nichols N1A deserves an exclusive edition to reflect the significance of such a powerful, lightweight, and beautiful machine.

To this effect, the first fifteen cars will be numbered editions, bearing the legend “ICON 88”, each one individually tailored to reflect the fifteen race wins of the Steve Nichols-designed McLaren MP4/4 during the 1988 season in the hands of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

In 1988 the MP4/4 re-wrote the record books, winning an unprecedented fifteen out of sixteen races, including ten one/twos, to make it the most successful F1 car of all time.  Its record stood until Red Bull’s incredible 2023 season, but it’s worth noting that Red Bull, whilst incredibly impressive, did not achieve as many second places and was soundly beaten in Singapore.

The MP4/4 should have won all sixteen races to make it the perfect season, but for the fact that Ayrton Senna was taken out whilst lapping a backmarker, cruising to what would have been another victory in the Italian Grand Prix.  So in every race it entered the MP4/4 was totally dominant.

Given this, it’s ironic that in its first appearance the MP4/4 was a resounding last.

Prior to the 1988 season the rest of the F1 grid had spent the best part of two weeks at the Imola circuit in Italy testing their latest challengers prior to the start of the campaign.

By the time the MP4/4 appeared pretty much everybody had already gone home.

Design of the MP4/4 had only started in earnest late in the day when confirmation of the Honda engine deal had come through.  Head of design Steve Nichols didn’t want to compromise the car by having to allow for a number of possible engines.

Initially, Steve was meant to be overseeing the naturally aspirated car (the 4/5) for the following year, with newcomer to the team Neil Oatley responsible for the 4/4.  Late in the day, Steve was asked by Ron Dennis if he minded if the roles were reversed as Neil was new to the team.  The structure was subsequently confirmed in an email from Gordon Murray making clear the responsibility.

1988 was to be year of transience between the end of the turbo era cars and the new generation naturally aspirated ones with a whole of host of new regulations coming into play for anyone producing a new car, which the 4/4 clearly was.

Fresh out of the box the 4/4 was clearly in a different league to the opposition.

Alain Prost took the first stint behind the wheel and within a few laps came into the pits declaring that it would win the championship: his main concern being that they should not show how much faster it was than everyone else.

When it was Ayrton Senna’s turn to take the wheel in the afternoon, Prost tried to persuade him that he should take things steadily.

After a few laps, Senna came into the pits and sat for a moment reflecting in the cockpit.

“This car is f***king quick,” he said.  

And so it proved……….