Former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is selling 69 of his finest racing cars from what is believed to be the most valuable Grand Prix and F1 collection in the world, including a range of incredible Ferraris that span from legendary drivers Alberto Ascari to Michael Schumacher.
The sale of The Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection is being overseen by UK-based performance car specialist Tom Hartley Jr via private treaty sale rather than auction. That means we’ll never know what they sell for.
“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,” says Ecclestone. “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. Tom [Hartley Jnr] is handling the sale for me because he knows the cars better than anyone else. His business is best placed to sell them, and I am guaranteed transparency which is important to me.”
“Having collected what are the best and most original Formula 1 cars dating back to the start of the sport, I have now decided to move them on to new homes that will treat them as I have and look after them as precious works of art.”
Ecclestone, 94, ran F1 for 30 years after selling his Brabham team to form the Formula One Group. Although his involvement as an executive in the sport spans over four decades. During those decades, he also put his personal collection of Ferraris together and used Hartley’s services to find them.
“I love Ferraris,” says Ecclestone in a video as he walks around the cars with Hartley. “Even over my own Brabhams, it’s Ferraris.”
“Mr. Ferrari, the way he acted with everything. When he was struggling financially, he still got on with the program. He did exactly what he thought was the right thing to do. The right way to build cars. I woulda loved to have him as a partner in my used car business because he was a good dealer!”
Let’s take a look at five of the best Ferraris in the collection.
1951 375 F1, Chassis 5
This car won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in Alberto Ascari’s hands and is one of only two surviving cars of this type.
The 375 set the foundation for Ferrari’s enduring success in Formula 1. Ending Alfa Romeo’s dominance in the early years of the F1 World Championship and marking Ferrari as a serious title contender.
“Ferrari put it back exactly as it was,” says Ecclestone of this car’s restoration in Maranello. “These were the days when there were never two cars built the same. And they had different engines too.”
1957 Dino 246 F1, Chassis 0003
Mike Hawthorn won the Formula 1 World Championship in this very car in 1958.
“Mike was a very serious driver,” says Ecclestone, and when asked what his favorite car is of the entire collection, he replied: “I think the Dino.”
First built for the ’57 season, this car raced through 1960. It was also the last front-engined Ferrari to win a race. Ferrari donated it to the Ford Museum, which is ironic as Enzo almost sold his company to the Blue Oval.
Famous driver-turned-team-owner Luigi Chinetti then managed to buy this car, before selling it to Lord Anthony Bamford. Then it moved into the hands of renowned Ferrari collector Albert Obrist before Ecclestone purchased it.
1965 312 F1, Chassis 0010
Ferrari told Hartley that upon receiving the car for restoration, it was using exactly the same tires as it left the factory when the car was sold by them in 1969. It was also one of the first cars that Piero Ferrari, Enzo’s son, ever worked on in the factory.
It was a two-time Grand Prix winner with John Surtees, with whom Ecclestone had his own family relationship. “His dad used to race motorbike sidecars, he was a champion, and I sat in the sidecar for a couple of races with him.”
Also part of the collection is Surtees’ own 1964 512, Chassis 0007, that Ecclestone bought.
1975 312 T, Chassis 022
This French GP-winning car was used by Niki Lauda on his way to his first world championship in 1975.
“This guy had killer instincts,” said Ecclestone of one of his favorite drivers. “He only knew about winning.”
The use of a transverse gearbox improved the car’s weight distribution and handling. Enhancing its stability in corners and responsiveness on the track. It delivered Ferrari its first drivers’ and constructors’ championships since 1964.
Hartley reveals it was quite a chase to track it down: “I tried to buy this car for a while, and ended up buying it in America after it was shown at Pebble Beach.”
1976 312 T2, Chassis 029
This car was raced over two seasons, recorded multiple podium finishes across 1976 and 77, and won the constructors’ title in both years. It was driven by Carlos Reutemann in ’77, who was team-mate to champion Lauda.
“I love this car, a guy in Argentina said he wanted to buy it at any price, but that’s the reason I didn’t sell it,” says Ecclestone. “Carlos was one of the first drivers I ever signed, he was very quick.”
This was also the car driven by Clay Regazzoni on the day that James Hunt beat Lauda to the ’76 title at Fuji in Japan.
Glittering Array Of Brabhams On Sale Too
Ecclestone is also selling his unrivaled collection of Brabham Formula 1 cars, the team he ran since buying part of it from Jack Brabham at the end of 1970, and latterly from Ron Tauranac in ’72.
Under his stewardship, Brabham won two F1 world drivers’ titles with Nelson Piquet. He then sold the team to concentrate on revolutionizing Formula 1’s commercial rights.
“I knew Brabham was going to get sold, so I met up with everyone that had anything to do with it,” he says. “And we came to an agreement. Things worked out quite well for me, I was a bit lucky, a lot of people helped me.”
Ecclestone’s Brabhams have barely ever been seen, as he retained ownership of them since their final races. Included within the collection are championship-winning cars from Piquet. One of which was used for testing with Ayrton Senna at the end of the 1983 Formula 1 season. The collection includes iconic cars such as the BT44B and BT45C, both considered within the best designs of Formula 1 history. The famous BT46B ‘fan car’, in which Niki Lauda won the Swedish Grand Prix by over half a minute. And which Bernie subsequently withdrew from racing following the conclusion of the race, is also featured in the sale.
