Bernie Ecclestone to sell £500m car collection that includes F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher
Bernie Ecclestone is putting up ‘the most important race car collection in the world’ up for sale. Ecclestone, 94, will part with 69 historic Formula 1 and Grand Prix cars he has come to have in his possession over five decades. The ex-F1 supremo boasts a world-leading collection of carsGetty Part of the former F1 chief’s collection includes Ferraris driven by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda as well as Nelson Piquet. Also included in Ecclestone’s world-leading collection is Sir Stirling Moss’ Vanwall VW10, the first British car to win a F1 race in 1958. The entire fleet of cars is estimated to be worth an eye-watering £500million. “I have been collecting these cars for more than 50 years, and I have only ever bought the best of any example,” Ecclestone said. “Whilst many other collectors over the years have opted for sports cars, my passion has always been for Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars. “A Grand Prix and in particular a Formula 1 car is far more important than any road car or other form of race car, as it is the pinnacle of the sport, and all the cars I have bought over the years have fantastic race histories and are rare works of art. “I love all of my cars but the time has come for me to start thinking about what will happen to them should I no longer be here, and that is why I have decided to sell them. “After collecting and owning them for so long, I would like to know where they have gone and not leave them for my wife to deal with should I not be around. Ecclestone hopes his cars will be moved on ‘to new homes that will treat them as I have and look after them as precious works of art.’ The 94-year-old has chosen Tom Hartley Jr, considered one of the world’s top historic racing car dealers, to conduct the sales. Ecclestone is being forced to sell off his huge collectionTom Hartley Jnr/PA Wire Ecclestone owns one of Schumacher’s FerrarisGetty “There are many eight-figure cars within the collection, and the value of the collection combined is well into the hundreds of millions,” Hartley Jr said. “The collection spans 70 years of racing, but for me the highlight has to be the Ferraris. “There is the famous ‘Thin Wall Special’, which was the first Ferrari to ever beat Alfa Romeo, Alberto Ascari’s Italian GP-winning 375 F1 and historically significant championship-winning Lauda and Schumacher cars.” Hartley Jr added: “Formula 1 cars are cars that I know particularly well, they are not just cars that I have a great personal interest in, but we at Tom Hartley Jnr actively buy and sell them, too. “However, there has never been a collection like this one offered for sale, and no one in the world has a race car collection that comes close to Bernie’s.” Ecclestone’s decision to sell his car collection comes after the 94-year-old plead guilty to fraud in October last year after he was accused of not declaring over £400m in overseas assets to the Government. Ecclestone pleaded guilty to fraud in October 2023AFP Ecclestone’s car collection is believed to be worth over £500mTom Hartley Jnr/PA Wire He was forced to pay a record £652m to HM Revenue and Customs and was sentenced to 17 months in prison, which was suspended for two years. Ecclestone was also arrested in May 2022 by Brazilian police for illegal possession of a firearm while he boarded a private jet bound for Switzerland. He admitted he owned the weapon but did not know it was in his luggage as he paid bail and was permitted to continue travelling.
Bernie Ecclestone is putting up ‘the most important race car collection in the world’ up for sale.
Ecclestone, 94, will part with 69 historic Formula 1 and Grand Prix cars he has come to have in his possession over five decades.
Part of the former F1 chief’s collection includes Ferraris driven by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda as well as Nelson Piquet.
Also included in Ecclestone’s world-leading collection is Sir Stirling Moss’ Vanwall VW10, the first British car to win a F1 race in 1958.
The entire fleet of cars is estimated to be worth an eye-watering £500million.
“I have been collecting these cars for more than 50 years, and I have only ever bought the best of any example,” Ecclestone said.
“Whilst many other collectors over the years have opted for sports cars, my passion has always been for Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars.
“A Grand Prix and in particular a Formula 1 car is far more important than any road car or other form of race car, as it is the pinnacle of the sport, and all the cars I have bought over the years have fantastic race histories and are rare works of art.
“I love all of my cars but the time has come for me to start thinking about what will happen to them should I no longer be here, and that is why I have decided to sell them.
“After collecting and owning them for so long, I would like to know where they have gone and not leave them for my wife to deal with should I not be around.
Ecclestone hopes his cars will be moved on ‘to new homes that will treat them as I have and look after them as precious works of art.’
The 94-year-old has chosen Tom Hartley Jr, considered one of the world’s top historic racing car dealers, to conduct the sales.
“There are many eight-figure cars within the collection, and the value of the collection combined is well into the hundreds of millions,” Hartley Jr said.
“The collection spans 70 years of racing, but for me the highlight has to be the Ferraris.
“There is the famous ‘Thin Wall Special’, which was the first Ferrari to ever beat Alfa Romeo, Alberto Ascari’s Italian GP-winning 375 F1 and historically significant championship-winning Lauda and Schumacher cars.”
Hartley Jr added: “Formula 1 cars are cars that I know particularly well, they are not just cars that I have a great personal interest in, but we at Tom Hartley Jnr actively buy and sell them, too.
“However, there has never been a collection like this one offered for sale, and no one in the world has a race car collection that comes close to Bernie’s.”
Ecclestone’s decision to sell his car collection comes after the 94-year-old plead guilty to fraud in October last year after he was accused of not declaring over £400m in overseas assets to the Government.
He was forced to pay a record £652m to HM Revenue and Customs and was sentenced to 17 months in prison, which was suspended for two years.
Ecclestone was also arrested in May 2022 by Brazilian police for illegal possession of a firearm while he boarded a private jet bound for Switzerland.
He admitted he owned the weapon but did not know it was in his luggage as he paid bail and was permitted to continue travelling.
