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The Godfather of F1, Bernie Ecclestone, is selling a large portion of his historic F1 car collection, said to be the greatest ever assembled.

The 94-year-old Ecclestone has spent the last 50 years curating, collecting, and keeping the memories of these cars alive, but says now is the time to part ways to ‘relieve his wife of the responsibility’.

Described as the most valuable Grand Prix and Formula 1 car collection in the world, the lucky guy who has been entrusted with the sale of these vintage racecars, Tom Hartley Jnr, says “There has never been, and probably never will be, a collection like this ever offered for sale again.”

“It consists of the greatest cars of their time, many of which have not been seen for decades and are totally unique.”

Amongst the 69 cars from Bernie Ecclestone’s F1 collection going up for sale are:

• Ferrari 375 F1 (1951): Driven by Alberto Ascari to victory in the 1951 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
• Ferrari 246 F1 (1957): Piloted by Mike Hawthorn, the last front-engined car to achieve a podium.
• Ferrari 312 F1 (1975): Raced by Niki Lauda, contributing to his first World Championship title.
• Ferrari F2002 (2002): Driven by Michael Schumacher during his championship-winning season.
• Brabham BT44B
• Brabham BT45C
• Brabham BT46B ‘Fan Car’ (1978): Raced by Niki Lauda to victory in the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.
• Vanwall VW10 (1957): Driven by Sir Stirling Moss, Vanwall’s first-ever constructors title in 1958.
• Maserati 250F: A classic model from the 1950s, renowned in Grand Prix racing.
• BRM V16: Known for its distinctive 16-cylinder engine and unique sound.
• Bugatti Type 54 ‘Tiger Two’ (1931): One of only three surviving models.
• Talbot-Lago T26C: A significant Grand Prix car from the late 1940s.
• Delahaye Monoplace ‘Chaboud Speciale’: A notable French racing car.
• Connaught Type-B: A British racing car from the 1950s.

 

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Prices for these cars are not listed publicly, and Ecclestone also denies that the motivation for selling a substantial chunk of his collection is related to the £652.6 million (R14.8 billion) he was ordered to pay to the UK’s HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in October 2023. Although, looking at the list of priceless cars, the sale of the estimated £500 million collection might help a little.

Check out the fascinating interview with Ecclestone about his collection below.

[source:manofmany]