The seven most exclusive and special F1 cars from Bernie Ecclestone’s collection

At 94 years old, and with a fortune that, according to Forbes, far exceeds 2,000 million dollars —-but also with a sentence in the United Kingdom that forces him to pay 652 million pounds sterling after being found guilty of tax fraud—, Bernie Ecclestone has decided to put his collection of racing cars up for sale.

He has done so through the British luxury car dealer Tom Hartley Jnr, who has announced Ecclestone’s order with great fanfare, including an exclusive interview with the owner of the collection.

It is not for less considering that the collection of 69 luxury cars — they are so because of their features, their materials, their history and their economic value — has been collected by its still owner during the last half century. The cars date from such disparate dates that they cover 70 years of Formula 1 history and the most emblematic grand prix in the universe of four-wheeled motors.

Proof of the value of the collection, and the scope of the news that Ecclestone is selling it, is that it is valued at more than 100 million euros. 69 cars, more than 100 million euros. It is incomparable, but we are talking about a private collection even more important for its historical and symbolic value than the luxury car collection of the Sultan of Brunei, which has also recently come to light.

It will probably take us some time to know in what hands the racing cars from Ecclestone’s collection will end up because the sale is private and not an auction as happens on other occasions with this type of unique collections in the world. Will Fernando Alonso, another great collector of racing cars – they can be seen in his museum located in Asturias – dare to acquire one?

The most iconic cars from Bernie Ecclestone’s collection

Among Bernie Ecclestone’s 69 racing cars There are numerous models designed and manufactured in Maranello by the professionals of Ferrari, the most important brand in the history of Formula 1, the business that the British businessman led for years.

There are also Brabham models, and classics from the middle of the last century signed by Maserati or Vanwall.

The collection, valued at more than 100 million eurosincludes a multitude of Ferraris from all eras, Brabham models, and even gems from the 50s and 60s such as the Maserati 250F, BRM or Vanwall.

Thanks to Ecclestone’s decision to sell his collection and dealer Tom Hartley Jnr’s decision to display it publicly, we can enjoy this selection of the most exclusive models, due to their history and value, from the British magnate’s private collection. A collection, as Tom Hartley himself says when presenting it, incomparable. «There is not and probably will not be a collection like this in the world.», says the seller.

1

Ferrari F2002

The Ferrari F2002 It is the car with which Michael Schumacher became world champion in the year that gives its name to the car. Designed by Ross Brawm, Rory Byrne and Paolo Martinelli, Ferrari Club Spain explains that the car that Bernie Ecclestone still has in its possession is “the result of the work and technical evolution begun at the end of ’97 in Maranello.”

Such was the level exhibited by this car on the circuits that year that it was compared to an airplane, and that was long in coming, since Ferrari started the championship with the previous model, the F-2001, with which it competed in the two first grand prizes.

One of the keys to the car’s success was its new 051 engine.which presented several structural changes, and was also much smaller. “It was built in a single piece with the gearbox, this being located in the lower part of the mechanical block, thus improving the center of gravity, and the engine-gearbox assembly was made of cast titanium,” recalls from Ferrari Club Spain.

2

Brabham BT44

We could well have chosen the BT45C and the BT46B (Niki Lauda’s race-winning car), which are also part of Bernie Ecclestone’s private collection. Any of these iconic models can be used to highlight the Brabham that you have put up for sale.

These Formula 1 cars were driven by drivers of the stature of Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. In fact, in the businessman’s collection there are some of the cars with which Piquet was world champion, one of which Senna used in the Formula 1 World Championship at the end of 1983.

Specifically, the BT44 model was designed by Gordon Murray, head of design for the team. The car stands out for the cleanliness of its shapes, a sensation that is undoubtedly helped by its white colour.

It was driven in ’74 by Carlos Reutemann, who won three races, and José Carlos Pace.

3

Vanwall VW10

One of the most special cars in the collection by Bernie Ecclestone is the Vanwall VW10, a bottle-green projectile with which driver Stirling Moss achieved several victories and a constructors’ championship for the team in 1958.

This was the first British car, the businessman’s nationality, to win a Formula 1 race, being a pioneering team among the island teams. Among them, McLaren and Aston Martin currently stand out.

4

Ferrari 312 F1

Back to Ferrari, the brand that has the most presence in Bernie Ecclestone’s private collection, we cannot leave the Ferrari 312 F1 out of this selection. The original, although the businessman has successive models of this car in his possession, such as the B2 and B3 models, from the years 71 and 73 respectively.

The original dates back to the late 60s and the most valuable thing about what Ecclestone has in his possession, according to the private dealer who sells it, is that It is the unit that Enzo Ferrari presented to the press. In addition, it has tires that are believed to be original from the day it was sold by the Prancing Horse in 1969.

Ferrari considers that this car, which won several races in its time, It is one of the most original Formula 1 cars ever designed..

5

1951 Ferrari 375

The 1951 Ferrari 375 is another of the jewels of Bernie Ecclestone’s private collection. This is the car with which the Prancing Horse brand won the Formula 1 grand prix held in Monza in said year. The car was driven that day by Alberto Ascari.

Later, after winning the ’53 world championship, Enzo Ferrari decided to create a series of improved spiders that were known as the 375 PLUS model, which featured a V12 engine developed by Aurelio Lampredi and a body designed by Pininfarina.

6

Ferrari Dino 246 F1

Another iconic Ferrari model that Ecclestone still has in his possession is the Ferrari Dino with which Mike Hawthorn won the world motorsport championship in 1958.

Ferrari explains that this is the last Formula 1 model designed with the engine located at the front. “The name 246 responded to the brand’s usual nomenclature, ’24’ indicated the cylinder capacity and ‘6’ the number of cylinders,” explains the Italian company. «The engine used was then a V6 designed by Vittorio Jano that originally had 1,500 cm3. For the 246, its capacity was increased to 2,417 cm3, reaching its power to 270 hp,” he adds.

This car, according to the dealer selling the magnate’s collection, was used by Ferrari for three years (it became obsolete for competition in 1960) before being donated to the Henry Ford Museum.

7

Ferrari Thin Wall Special

If there is a Ferrari that can be considered special in Bernie Ecclestone’s collection, and it is difficult considering its level, that would be the Thin Wall Special model, a car that stands out mainly for its color: bottle green. Yes, a green Formula 1 Ferrari, something that would have no place in the popular imagination, existed.

This car was purchased in 1949 by Vandervell Products Ltd.a company dedicated to the manufacture of thin outer ring bearings, the “thin-wall bearings”, which at that time the company was already selling to Ferrari to manufacture its V12 engines.

The car was put into the service of British Racing Motors (BRM) and was driven, without much luck, by Alberto Ascari. But the car is, results aside, a historical jewel linked to the love affair between Ferrari and Formula 1.