Fans of Formula 1, any other motorsport or just cars in general will be rubbing their hands: the magnate Bernie Ecclestone is selling a part of his legendary private collection of cars, which for decades has had its exact content secret except for a few people whom he trusts for its care.
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The 94-year-old man is selling 69 of his cars through Tom Hartley Jr, a specialist in high-performance cars based in the United Kingdom, via a private sale rather than an auction. Therefore, the final transaction value will not be publicly disclosed.
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What are some of the pieces known from this car collection?
Ecclestone, former owner of the Brabham team and former CEO of Formula 1, has been accumulating his collection since the 1950s. Last year, he reached an agreement with British tax authorities to avoid a 17-month prison sentence for fraud by pleading guilty and paying 652 million pounds plus 74,000 pounds in legal costs.
Among the 69 racing cars on offer, there are several examples of great historical importance, some interesting "recreations" (like a pre-war Auto Union and a Lancia D50), and some rare unique pieces. One such piece is the Brabham BT46 "fan car" with which Niki Lauda won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.
"I have been collecting these cars for over 50 years and have only bought the best of each model," revealed Ecclestone. “I love all my cars, but the time has come for me to start thinking about what will happen to them if I'm no longer here, and that's why I have decided to sell them. After collecting and owning them for so long, I would like to know where they end up, and not leave them to my wife to handle in case I'm not around anymore.”
The collection undoubtedly centers on the ‘rosso corsa’ wave, as Ecclestone is a renowned collector of racing Ferraris . Some examples include: the 375 with which Alberto Ascari won the 1951 Italian Grand Prix, the Dino with which Mike Hawthorn won the 1958 championship, a F2002 ex Michael Schumacher, and even a Ferrari in British Racing Green, the Thinwall Special, and a 312B3 of great historical interest.
It is not the first time that Ecclestone has parted with part of his collection. In 2007 he put 50 cars up for auction through RM Sotheby’s, among them a 1928 Mercedes SSK roadster and a 1939 Lancia Astura cabriolet which, according to rumors, was once owned by Benito Mussolini.