Twice bitten, thrice shy is not a philosophy that the ex-King of F1, Bernie Ecclestone, subscribes to. The former F1-empire owner, after multiple run-ins with British tax agencies over tax fraud, has been handed a hefty near-$830 million tax bill over tax evasion.
It’s likely the reason he’s decided to sell his rarely-seen stash of priceless Grand Prix and Formula 1 race cars. In total, 69 cars will be offered up through Tom Hartley Jnr, a dealer in exotic machinery based in the UK. The 94-year-old Ecclestone claims he’s selling the collection so that his wife will be taken care of in the eventual event of his passing.
The value of Ecclestone’s collection is thought to be over $500 million, including Michael Schumacher’s championship-winning Ferrari F2002 F1 car valued at over $12.5 million. Ecclestone is believed to have started collecting Grand Prix and Formula 1-winning race cars in the early 1970s, having sold a few along the way. Never before has such a large collection of race cars with such provenance been offered up for sale, making this sale one of extreme importance.
Among the other stars of the collection are the Ferrari Thin Wall Special, the first Ferrari to beat Alfa Romeo, the first 312 F1 considered by Ferrari to be the most original surviving F1 car from the era and championship-winning cars from the likes of F1 legends such as Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet.
All the cars are said to be have been meticulously cared for and the Ecclestone collection represents the holy grail for motorsport fans the world over. Several are being seen in public for the first time as well, making this a treat even for fans without deep pockets.
