1990 Dragon Ball Z x McLaren Promotional Flag – Akira Toriyama Signed

Rare Signed Akira Toriyama McLaren-Honda Promotional Flag Sells for £50,200 on F1® Authentics.

A rare promotional tapestry flag featuring artwork by the late Akira Toriyama sold for £50,200 on F1® Authentics, giving collectors the opportunity to own an incredibly unique piece of Formula 1® and manga history.

Only a small number of items bearing this design are believed to have ever been printed. This particular example was signed by Akira Toriyama and personally gifted to Ekrem Sami, the former Head of Marketing at McLaren F1® Team, who was named by Paddock Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in F1® history.

The artwork featured on the flag was created by the Dragon Ball creator, who was also an F1® enthusiast. It features his illustrated characters alongside the McLaren-Honda MP4/5B, number 28, famously driven by Gerhard Berger.

The flag celebrated a unique period in Formula 1® history, following Shūeisha's sponsorship of McLaren in the early 1990s. The publisher of Weekly Shonen Jump, home to the Dragon Ball manga series, partnered with the team during a time of growing motorsport popularity in Japan, leading to a number of collaborations between the two brands.

This non-commercial promotional tapestry flag, dating from 1990, featured characters including Goku, Bulma, Master Roshi, Kid Goku and Krillin, alongside a depiction of Goku inside the Formula 1® car. The Japanese text "ジャンプ" (Jump) appeared at the top, while "必勝" (Hisshou), meaning "certain victory", was displayed at the bottom.

The signature of the late Akira Toriyama remained clearly visible alongside the illustrations without obscuring the design, with the flag preserved in exceptional condition for more than three decades before achieving its £50,200 sale price at auction.