Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is to sell his collection of F1 and racing cars driven by motorsport legends including Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet.
Ecclestone, who ruled the sport for almost 40 years until 2017, amassed a collection of 69 iconic F1 and Grand Prix cars spanning more than five decades.
The collection includes Ferraris driven by world champions Schumacher, Lauda and Mike Hawthorn, as well as Brabhams driven by Piquet and Carlos Pace, among others.
“All the cars I have purchased over the years have fantastic racing histories and are rare works of art,” said Ecclestone, aged 94.
Also among the cars for sale is Stirling Moss's Vanwall VW10, which became the first British car to win an F1 race and the constructors' championship in 1958.
“I love all my cars, but the time has come for me to start thinking about what will happen to them if I'm no longer here, and that's why I've decided to sell them.”
“After collecting and owning them for so long, I would like to know where they are going and not let my wife deal with that if I am no longer here.”
“A Formula 1 car is far more important than any road car or other form of racing car because it represents the pinnacle of the sport, and all the cars I have purchased over the years have a track record fantastic races.”
“Having collected the best F1 cars dating back to the beginnings of the sport, I have now decided to take them to new homes who will treat them as I have and care for them as precious works of art.”
The former Brabham team boss has appointed specialist sports and racing car seller Tom Hartley Jnr Ltd to manage the sale.
“There are many eight-figure cars in the collection, and the value of the combined collection is well into the hundreds of millions of euros,” said Tom Hartley Jnr.
“The collection spans 70 years of racing, but for me the highlight is definitely the Ferraris.”
“There is the famous 'Thin Wall Special', the first Ferrari to beat Alfa Romeo, Alberto Ascari's 375 F1, winner of the Italian GP, and the Lauda and Schumacher cars, historically important for championship victories. “
There is also the Brabham BT46B, nicknamed the “fan car” and designed by Gordon Murray, which Lauda drove to victory at the 1978 Swedish GP and the BT45C with which the Austrian made his debut in the team. 'Ecclestone the same year.
