You remember international motorsport’s supervillain Bernard Charles Ecclestone, right? The 94-year-old was perhaps the most important figure in bringing Formula 1 to the masses, and managed to elevate himself from a dealership salesman to a successful team owner to running the whole series in just a few short years. His work at the top of the sport made him wealthy beyond imagining. After a 652 million pound tax fraud bill came due, the nonagenarian billionaire has to sell off his collection of cars to help cover it.
The collection, which will be offered to the public through Tom Hartley Jnr includes some seriously significant machines from decades gone by. He began collecting these cars in the 1950s and they run the gamut from elaborate “recreations” to unique one-off machines. The most iconic machine from this list is probably the Gordon Murray-created Brabham BT46 “fan car” Niki Lauda drove to victory at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix.
“I have been collecting these cars for more than 50 years, and I have only ever bought the best of any example,” Ecclestone said. “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.”
“I feel very privileged that Bernie has entrusted the sale of his cars to my Tom Hartley Jnr business. 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. This a great opportunity for a discerning collector to acquire cars that have never before been offered for sale, and it would be great to see them back on the track again.” – Tom Hartley Jnr
The massive collection of cars includes championship winners from Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda, and Mike Hawthorn. Hawthorn’s Ferrari 246 F1 in particular, was a works entry for three full seasons in the 1950s and was the last front-engine Grand Prix car to ever reach a podium position. Bernie still retains many of the Brabham cars the team built while he presided over the effort, including cars driven by Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. You’ll also find Maseratis, BRMs, Vanwalls, and Auto Unions. If you’re in the market for a vintage F1 machine, give Tom Hartley Jnr a call.