The legendary 69-strong car collection owned by former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been sold to Mark Mateschitz, the 32-year-old heir to the Red Bull empire. The sale, brokered by Tom Hartley Jnr, is reported to be the largest private car collection transaction in history, and although the final price has not been revealed, it’s thought to be in-line with the estimated value of between £300m and £500m.
The collection is a treasure trove of Formula 1 history, featuring iconic machines such as the Thin Wall Special – the first Ferrari to defeat Alfa Romeo – as well as the 1951 Italian Grand Prix-winning 375 F1 driven by Alberto Ascari. Also featuring in the collection are Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher’s World Championship-winning Ferraris, an array of Brabham F1 cars from Ecclestone’s tenure as team owner, and his personal favourite, the Vanwall VW10 driven by Stirling Moss. These cars represent 70 years of Formula 1 history, embodying both technical milestones and sport history.
Other highly significant cars include the 1978 Brabham-Alfa Romeo BT46B ‘fan car’, which achieved victory at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp. The 1957 Vanwall F1 that Stirling Moss drove to three victories in the 1958 season, securing Vanwall’s Constructors’ title, also forms part of the collection. Other highlights include the 1957 Ferrari Dino 246, the 1975 Brabham BT44B that helped Brabham to second place in the 1975 Constructors’ Championship, and the 1983 Brabham BT52B in which Nelson Piquet won his second world title.
• Read our original story on the sale, and our top picks from the collection
According to Hartley Jnr, there was significant interest from around the world, including offers from two sovereign wealth funds, one of which was Saudi Arabia. Despite the strong competition, Mateschitz was a clear favourite for Ecclestone. ‘The buyer moved extremely quickly,’ Hartley Jnr told The Telegraph. ‘He was definitely a favoured buyer of Bernie’s.’
For Mateschitz, whose father Dieter Mateschitz co-founded Red Bull, acquiring the collection marks a deepening of his connection to Formula 1. While no concrete plans have been announced, Mateschitz has committed to preserving and expanding the collection, with the intention of making it accessible to the public, likely in Austria.
‘I am very pleased that Bernie has placed his trust in me to take care of this historically significant collection,’ Mateschitz said. ‘It will be carefully preserved, expanded over the years, and in the near future it will be made accessible to the public at an appropriate location.’
Ecclestone expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, telling The Daily Mail: ‘These are unique vehicles. They have written sport history and marked technical milestones. It means a great deal to me to know that this collection is now in the very best of hands. Mark is the best and most worthy owner we could ever imagine.’
The transaction not only secures the future of a vital chapter of motorsport history, but also ensures that these historic Formula 1 cars will remain an active and celebrated part of the sport’s legacy for future generations.
