Bernie Ecclestone owns one of the largest and probably even most valuable racing car collections. Its importance is undisputed. He has amassed the collection over the last 50 years and it spans 70 years of Grand Prix and Formula 1 racing history and includes many highly decorated Grand Prix and championship-winning cars.
Countless highlights
There are so many highlights that it is difficult to pick out just one of the 69 vehicles. Among the Ferraris are the 375 F1 in which Alberto Ascari won the Italian Grand Prix, the Ferrari Monoposto that was the first to beat the Alfa Romeo, the very first 312 F1, a multiple Grand Prix winner considered by Ferrari to be the most original surviving Formula 1 car of this era, and the winners of the Italian Grand Prix.In addition, there are the winning cars of Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda and Mike Hawthorn, whose 246 F1 was used by the works team for three seasons, was driven by all the great works drivers of the time and was the last front-engined car ever to finish on the podium.
Other highlights of the collection include a Maserati 250F, the monstrous 16-cylinder Mark II BRM and the famous Vanwall VW10, in which Stirling Moss won several Grand Prix victories in the 1958 Formula 1 season and clinched the first Constructors' Championship for Vanwall. This was also the first British car to win a Formula 1 race and the championship, and the rest is history
Brabhams hardly ever seen
Bernie's Brabhams have hardly ever been seen, as they have remained in his possession since their last races. The collection also includes Nelson Piquet's winning cars, one of which was used for test drives with Ayrton Senna at the end of the 1983 Formula 1 season.
Unique and iconic cars such as the BT44B and BT45C, both among the best designs in Formula 1 history, and of course the famous BT46B 'vacuum cleaner F1' in which Niki Lauda won the Swedish Grand Prix by over half a minute and which Bernie retired after the race.
Sale by Tom Hartley Jnr
The sale of the 69 cars, which are certainly worth hundreds of millions, was entrusted to Tom Hartley Jnr. He knows his way around Formula 1 cars.
John Hartley: "Never before has a collection like this been offered for sale, and no one in the world has a racing car collection that comes close to Bernie's. This is a great opportunity for a discerning collector to acquire cars that have never been offered for sale before and it would be great to see them back on the track."
Further information can be found on the Tom Hartley Jnr. website.
