The former boss of F1 has decided to part with his 69 single-seaters telling the history of the premier discipline of motorsport.
It's not nothing. Bernie Ecclestone, the one-man band of modern Formula 1, has built up over the course of his professional career a unique collection of single-seaters telling the story of the F1 world championship since its birth in 1950. Aged 94, this young retiree decided to part with his grand prix cars for some crowned with a world title. Born in October 1930, Bernie had a particularly rich career. After having dabbled in driving but realizing that his driving skills did not offer him great prospects, he was in turn a driver manager, team director and owner, founder of FOCA (Formula One Constructors Association ), holder of the commercial rights to Formula 1 and maker of kings. Behind the scenes, he often maneuvered to hire a driver or a team director. He had thus advised Luca di Montezemolo, then boss of Ferrari, to entrust the reins of the Italian team to Jean Todt in the early 1990s. With the Brabham team, he led the Brazilian twice, in 1981 and 1983. Nelson Piquet to the world title.
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Tom Hartley Jr, a renowned English dealer, obtained the mandate to sell the 69 grand prix single-seaters in the collection. There we obviously find the Brabhams from the time he ran the stable. Some of them have not been seen for several decades. In total, under his leadership, Brabham will have won 2 world drivers' titles, 22 grand prix victories, achieved 24 pole positions and 25 fastest race laps at the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The team is renowned for having enabled the talent of engineer Gordon Murray to reveal himself. We owe him the famous Brabham BT46 Alfa Romeo banned after Niki Lauda's victory at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix due to the presence of a fan sucking air at the rear of the car.
One of the most beautiful Ferrari collections in the world
What makes this collection rich is also the presence of some important Ferraris, some of which come from the former collection of Albert Obrist. We know that after financial setbacks, the Swiss asked Ecclestone to lend him money. The deposit? The Ferrari collection. One of the most beautiful in the world. Obrist was never going to see her again. There we find the 375 F1 at the wheel of which Alberto Ascari won a number of victories, the Thin Wall Special which was the first Ferrari to beat Alfa Romeo, the Dino 246 F1 of Mike Hawthorn, and several single-seaters at the wheel of which Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutmann, then Jean Alesi and Michael Schumacher distinguished themselves.
The collection also includes pre-war Auto Union grand prix, Gordini, Talbot Lago T26 GS, a Maserati 250 F, the famous BRM with a 16-cylinder engine and a Vanwall VW10 which allowed the artisan manufacturer to win the manufacturers' title in 1958.
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