Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Bernie Ecclestone left an indelible mark on the world of motorsport. As the man at the helm of Formula One for multiple decades, Ecclestone had access to some pretty spectacular icons from the pinnacle of motorsport, and it’s no surprise that more than a few found their way into his collection. Now at the ripe age of 94, Ecclestone has decided to part ways with 69 of the most incredible racing cars from history with the help of Tom Hartley Jnr. 

“I have been collecting these cars for more than 50 years, and I have only ever bought the best of any example. Whilst many other collectors over the years have opted for sports cars, my passion has always been for Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars,” Ecclestone reflects. It’s no surprise, then, that among the former drivers of Ecclestone’s meticulously cared for cars you’ll find names like Niki Lauda, Michael Schumacher, Nelson Piquet, and Mike Hawthorn. 

“This is quite simply the most important race car collection in the world. There has never been and probably never will be a collection like it ever offered for sale again,” commented Tom Hartley Jnr, who continued “But, for me, the highlight of the collection has to be the Ferraris.” Among the numerous World Championship-winning prancing horses, you’ll encounter legends like the Thin Wall Special — the first Ferrari to ever beat Alfa Romeo — the Alberto Ascari Italian Grand Prix-winning 375 F1, and numerous F1 racers piloted by Lauda and Schumacher. 

However, it’s not just Maranello’s masterpieces that you’ll want to check out because Ecclestone has retained ownership of Brabham since the start, and therefore many racers from the team’s illustrious history are now reentering the public eye for the first time in decades. This is certainly an unmissable opportunity for any car collector, so you’ll want to keep your eyes glued to the Classic Driver Market as these legendary racing cars come up for sale.