Bernie Ecclestone relocates Grand Prix and F1 car collection

• Bernie Ecclestone is selling 69 cars from his collection of Grand Prix and F1 racing cars
• Ecclestone has been amassing the collection for more than 50 years
• Included in the sale is the original Brabham BT46B “fan car,” of which only one exists

There are few people who are as inextricably linked to Formula 1 as Bernie Ecclestone. Therefore, it is not surprising that he has an impressive collection of racing cars from the sport.

Ecclestone, 94, is now parting ways with many of them –a total of 69 cars– which are sold through British exotic car specialist Tom Hartley Jr. Many of them were locked away for decades because Ecclestone rarely if ever showed them to the public.

Ecclestone has been involved in Formula 1 since the 1950s, first with the Connaught team and later with Brabham, which he bought and ran in the 1970s. However, he is best known for founding the Formula One Group in 1987, a group of companies that promotes Formula One worldwide and controls its commercial rights. Ecclestone finally handed over control of the group to its current owner Liberty Media in 2017.

Ecclestone has been amassing his collection for more than 50 years. At least according to public records, he added as recently as 2018: when he paid $5 million for a 1993 McLaren MP4/8A F1 racing car driven by Ayrton Senna.

Bernie Ecclestone’s collection of historic Grand Prix and Formula 1 racing cars

This car is not among the 69 cars offered for sale, although there are many other highlights. This includes Michael Schumacher’s champion Ferrari F2002 from the 2002 F1 season as well as older successful Ferrari racing cars such as the 312B3, 246 and the 375, with which Alberto Ascari won the Italian Grand Prix in 1951.

Outside of Ferrari, highlights include a Vanwall VW10 driven to multiple wins by Stirling Moss in 1958 and several Brabhams, including the only BT46B “Fan Car” designed by Gordon Murray and driven to victory by Niki Lauda at the Big One Price of Sweden in 1978 before it was banned.

Bernie Ecclestone’s collection of historic Grand Prix and Formula 1 racing cars

In a statement, Ecclestone said he always preferred collecting Grand Prix cars, particularly F1 cars, over road cars as his passion has always been racing. He also said he now wants to separate from them while he is still alive, because he wants to know where they end up and not leave their sale as a burden on his family after he is gone.

“A Grand Prix car, and especially a Formula 1 car, is far more important than any road car or other racing car as it represents the pinnacle of the sport and all the cars I have bought over the years provide fantastic racing.” stories and are rare works of art,” he said.