- One of the greatest Ferrari collections ever assembled changes hands in a historic sale.
- Former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone sells his prized car collection for $650 million USD (~$1 billion AUD) in the biggest classic car transaction ever.
- Collection has race cars that were driven by Schumacher, Moss, Ascari, and Lauda.
In the world of high-end car collecting, deals don’t get bigger than this. Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone sold his legendary Ferrari collection for an estimated $650 million USD (~$1 billion AUD) – the single largest classic car deal in history.
Bernie’s collection consisted of 69 cars from over seven decades of motorsport brilliance; a curated museum of Ferrari’s most iconic moments. From Sir Stirling Moss’s masterful drives to Michael Schumacher’s dominant performances, each car in Ecclestone’s line-up has a story of racing glory to tell. And now, for the first time these stories might finally get the audience they deserve.
A New Chapter Begins
The man taking the keys to the collection is none other than Mark Mateschitz, the 32-year-old heir to the Red Bull empire. Son of the late Austrian billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, he’s no stranger to motorsport, and with this purchase, he cements his place among the elite automotive collectors.
“These are unique vehicles. They have written sports history and marked technical milestones”.
Bernie Ecclestone
The former F1 CEO expressed satisfaction that the cars have found a good home and mentioned: “They’ll present them somewhere, in a museum, so people can look at them for a change which has never happened before.”
This will be a big moment for fans because until now, these machines have been tucked away in a private hangar at Biggin Hill airfield in southern England and have been rarely seen outside of exclusive race events. As for why Ecclestone decided to sell? It wasn’t about the money. He simply didn’t want to leave the burden of managing such a historic collection to his wife, Fabiana, after his passing.
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Crown Jewels of the Collection
Some of the most iconic cars in the collection include Michael Schumacher’s $13 million USD (~$20 million AUD) Ferrari F2002, the car that got him 11 victories in 17 Grands Prix during his fifth World Championship season.
The collection also has Niki Lauda’s Brabham BT46B “fan car.” The car is famous for its innovative downforce-generating fan system and it was one of the most controversial (and brilliant) designs in F1 history. It raced only once at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, which Lauda won, and the car was then withdrawn from competition.
There’s also Alberto Ascari’s Ferrari 375 F1. This car won at the 1951 Italian Grand Prix and helped put Ferrari on the map in its early racing days.
Now, under the ownership of Mateschitz, these legendary machines might finally be displayed for the public eye, where fans can truly appreciate the history they carry.
