96 replies to this topic

[Scuderia CC]

I am with the research of the single-seaters which belong to the personal collection of Bernie Ecclestone, for the moment I have only Ferrari which results from the collection of Albert Obrist that Bernie repurchased and who will sell later all except the single-seaters. If you have infos on the single-seaters of the collection of Bernie Ecclestone, your assistance is the welcome.

Here the list which I currently have :

Ferrari 166 F1/F2 1949 #0118
Ferrari 375 F1 1951 #05
Ferrari 555 F1 SuperSqualo 1955 #FL9002
Ferrari 246 F1 1958 #0003
Ferrari 1512 F1 1964 #0007
Ferrari 312 F1 1966 #0010
Ferrari 312 B2 1972 #008
Ferrari 312 B3 1973 #011
Ferrari 312 T2 1977 #029

Maserati 250 F 1954 #2512
Maserati 250 F 1954 #2514

Talbot T26C 1948 #110007
Talbot T26C 1948 #110011

Brabham BT44 B 1975 ex-Carlos Pace # ?


Best regards.

[Gary C]

he owns ALL the 'Paramlat' Brabhams apart from one (sometimes campaigned in Historic F1) plus at least two Beatrice Lolas

[Mark Ballard]

And a W125 Mercedes,the "Replica" Ferrari D50
Mark

[VAR1016]

Blimey! Has he got a flat-12 Ferrari 1.5 litre?

I wish the miserable sod would let us hear it run.

PdeRL

[David McKinney]

I think a B-Type Connaught too
Can't remember what else, but one of the German magazines - MotorKlassik? - did a story on the collection about five years ago

[zakeriath]

In quite a few threads the Bernie Eccelestone collection of cars keeps on coming up.

Where is it and has anybody had the chance to see it?

[Vitesse2]

Most - perhaps all - of Bernie's hundred-plus collection is kept in a hangar at Biggin Hill. If you do a search with Biggin as the keyword, you'll find quite a few threads. See particularly the one about the BT46B fan car ;)

[David M. Kane]

Didn't Bernie buy Biggin Hill, I know he had an effort afoot to do so?

[MODE]

He's said to have cars in Switzerland also, I propose to give the list of all the cars which are known to be owned by him And after that, Bernie will be asked when he will allow people to see them

- I begin the list : all Brabham cars of his era (BT42, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58) but not all the chassis for the BT42, 44, 45, 49, 52, 54.

[Cynic]

BCE purchased the Albert Obrist collection of Ferraris some years ago, when Obrist was in financial problems. He sold off the sports cars, and kept the F1 cars, mostly earlier cars.

[David McKinney]

There was an article in a German magazine a few years ago, which described a lot of the cars

[Gary C]

.....I thought he kept a load of stuff in a warehouse in Switzerland, along with some cars at Donington.

[roadmap]

I walked accompanied through the second floor of a warehouse in Switzerland a few years ago to be shown a car I was trying buy and I would guess there was in excess of 150 superlative sports/race cars parked up. I was then taken to the basement workshop to see an additional engine for the car I was trying to buy. I was left with a mechanic for a few minutes and I asked him who owned the cars. In his broken English he said the number one man in F1, who I assumed was Mr E. I then walked back accompanied to the offices on another floor where I walked pass again t in excess of 150 cars. There was five floors in the warehouse. I asked the owner what was for sale he said nothing at any price, other than the car I had came to see which was one of several he owned himself.

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Gary C
.....I thought he kept a load of stuff in a warehouse in Switzerland, along with some cars at Donington.

Last time I was there, I think most of Bernie's Brabhams were on display at Donington.

[Gary C]

...................what about the Brabhams on the walls in the hangar at Biggin??

[MODE]

Originally posted by kayemod


Last time I was there, I think most of Bernie's Brabhams were on display at Donington.

He took back them all some years ago.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by MODE


He took back them all some years ago.

The only Bernie-era Brabham there now is a BT37, and BCE probably regards that as just a warmed-over rehash of the 33 and 34, so not 'his'.;)

[cstlhn]

The great divide between the collectors and the enthusiasts seems to grow larger.

[f1steveuk]

I have posted on this before, but I worked for BCE, based at Biggin for some years. My office over looked the hanger where these cars were kept, ALL of the BCE era built Brabhams, Beatrice Lolas and a lot of other stuff. Elsewhere on the airfield, a collection including Mussolini's Lancia, Hunt's McLaren M23 (8/2 or 10 depending on your mood!) Vanwall VW10, Lancia D50, 962s etc etc. Then there's the collection in Switzerland. Lat time I spoke to RD, the man in charge of them, it appeared interest was waining a he had been instructed not to touch any of them!

[kayemod]

I think our biggest worry should be that Bernie's last will and testament includes a clause saying that all his collection has to be buried with him.

[Gary C]

When I worked with Steve with FOM I often wanted to go up to Bernie & inform him that he can't take it with him. However, knowing Bernie, I bet he's done a deal with God that enables him to do just that!!

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Gary C
When I worked with Steve with FOM I often wanted to go up to Bernie & inform him that he can't take it with him. However, knowing Bernie, I bet he's done a deal with God that enables him to do just that!!

In a perfect world, Tom Wheatcroft would have been running F1 for the last 25 years, and Bernie would be in charge of the Donington collection. Given BE's track record, admission charges might be a bit of a worry for the rest of us though.

[f1steveuk]

Do you know I would get told off if I was caught dusting them, but I couldn't bear to seem a car gathering dust! Some of the cars are in a proper museum, marble floor, audio visual displays (Iknow, I did them!), but very very very few people get to see them.

I don't know the full story, but one day all he Brabhams were in Donnington, and the next they were all in a hanger in Biggin.

The only car I don't think BC has is a BT42.......

[Gerald Swan]

This may be the most depressing thread I've read

Gerald.

www.lolaheritage.co.uk

[kayemod]

Originally posted by Gerald Swan
This may be the most depressing thread I've read

Gerald.

www.lolaheritage.co.uk

Bernie doesn't just have much of the future of F1 in his hands, he seems to own a fair slice of it's past as well.

[f1steveuk]

Of course what I meant to say was, "the only Brabham of the BCE era he DOESN'T have, is a BT42".

Must get these fingers fixed!

The saddest "car" that BCE stil has is the de Angelis Paul Ricard BT55, left me speechless for over an hour.

Of course this thread doesn't mention the motor bikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jorism]

In what state was the crashed BT55 from De Angelis, did Bernie renovate it?

[f1steveuk]

Originally posted by jorism
In what state was the crashed BT55 from De Angelis, did Bernie renovate it?

No it wasn't restored, it was exactly as that day at Ricard, in a large shipping crate (not on display). BCE does have a habit of restoring cars that don't need it (not shiny enough usually) but I don't think even Bernie would restore that.

[Sharman]

Regretfully I think you would have to qualify that last remark (with the sentiments of which I am in full agreement) and add "unless there was a buck in it"

[bradbury west]

To be fair to Bernie, I suspect that all his cars are as they should be in terms of spec etc.. Top condition is taken for granted in his case, plus on the button, no doubt. Far better like that, timewarp to some, than subject to what is ludicrously described as continuous development, leaving us with cars which in many cases are little more than hot-rod silhouettes, about which insouciant or ignorant journos rave when they play at race drivers "testing " them for magazines.

In Bernie's case, what would you do if you had his dosh? He will be regarded as a significant curator in decades to come, just like Bill Harrah and Tom Wheatcroft, all done for the right reasons, and because they had the money.

Roger Lund.

[David McKinney]

Harrah and Wheatcroft both made/make their collections available to public viewing...

[Stephen W]

Originally posted by David McKinney
Harrah and Wheatcroft both made/make their collections available to public viewing...

I suspect that Bernie would love to have HIS cars on display however I guess he is busy with other things at the moment. Hopefully he will get round to getting a suitable venue in the not too distant future. There are some highly significant Hillclimb cars in BE's collection that I would love to see again!

[bradbury west]

My main point was that at least they are being kept properly, in tip top condition, and in the right specification, hence time warp. better than the alternatives.

RL

BTW when did Bruce McCaw open the doors to his Ferrari collection, as well as other people with theirs, if I have the name and facts right?

[Terry Walker]

Look on the bright side: it's the fate of collector cars to move from collection to collection, and Bernie can't live forever. When he finally does fall off his perch, the chances are that the collection will be sold off, and many will appear once again on the circuits of the world.

[Gareth Davies]

Originally posted by f1steveuk
... BCE does have a habit of restoring cars that don't need it (not shiny enough usually) ...

[Sharman]

As I have no personal experience of the gentleman in question I cannot say that he is mean, rather that he appears to be mean spirited.

[Andrew Kitson]

Bernie is selling some, mainly from his road car collection:
http://www.classicdr...00.asp?id=13460

[f1steveuk]

His car collection man told me he was selling off the road cars, and concentrating on GP cars. He has got two Parmalat cars (in red), a BT48, and a 46B, then all (including every chassis) from then on, plus two FORCE Lolas. There's an ex Alboreto F187, McLaren M23 (8/2, THE Hunt car) VW10, I think the BT44b is chassis 5. There are no BT42s, BT37s or BT44s at all. It's a long time since I worked for him so I've gone from memory (usual conditions and disclaimers apply) but I'll try and find my paperwork and see what was there. I mentioned this in another thread, but I think he has a W25 as well, and repro Auto Union and Lancia D50.

[alansart]

So are these stories about warehouses full of old racing cars true or not?


And why is he keeping them all to himself and not doing a Tom Wheatcroft. (although he is supposed to buying one of Tom's replica W125's)

[Andrew Kitson]

See this thread Alan
http://forums.autosp...ighlight=bernie

[cosworth bdg]

Originally posted by Sharman
As I have no personal experience of the gentleman in question I cannot say that he is mean, rather that he appears to be mean spirited.

[Gary C]

funnily enough, I'm sure I read very recently somewhere that 50 cars from Bernie's collection will be auctioned off in the nexrt few weeks?

[Barry Boor]

will be auctioned off in the nexrt few weeks?

Right, where's me cheque book.....

[Sharman]

Don't keep writing see this thread I'm getting dizzy

[ian senior]

Originally posted by Andrew Kitson
Bernie is selling some, mainly from his road car collection:
http://www.classicdr...00.asp?id=13460

He's probably raising money to buy Arsenal football club.

[MonzaDriver]

Originally posted by f1steveuk
............. There's an ex Alboreto F187, McLaren M23 (8/2, THE Hunt car).........

Dear f1steveuk,
with: Mclaren M23 (8/2 THE Hunt car)
do you mean the GP of Japan 76 car ?
The chassis he used the most on the 76 championship?
I ask you not just out of curiosity, but because for all my life I dreamed about Lotus 49 and Hunt's Mclaren.
So I really would like to know about " his" Mclaren.

Ciao,
MonzaDriver.

[f1steveuk]

Hi Monza

Yep, the Japan car, (later used by Fittipaldi, and I think Gilles first F1 drive?) There is a little confusion, because I know there is a car that is "M23-10", but BCE's is without doubt M23-8/2, THE Hunt car. I'll have a look for some more info for you.....

[MonzaDriver]

Dear f1steveuk,
Thankyou very much for your prompt reply.
I am amazed, He owns the car of my dreams............. I have no words.
And yes if you can I would be very pleased to know more.
It is in good conditions?

Thank you in advance f1.
MonzaDriver.

[dmj]

Well... I can only hope that BCE is going to build a museum for his collection and that it might be located in proximity to his wife's family premises...

[Arjan de Roos]

Originally posted by dmj
Well... I can only hope that BCE is going to build a museum for his collection and that it might be located in proximity to his wife's family premises...

You may also consider to start dating his daughter ;)