The Cars That Chronicle an Empire
Bernie Ecclestone puts his F1 car collection up for sale
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Bernie Ecclestone stands at a crossroads of history, his collection of Formula One cars representing the story of a man who turned motorsport from weekend entertainment into global theater.
At 94, Ecclestone faces mortality with the same directness he brought to business deals that transformed racing.
A Formula One car means more than any road car. These represent the peak of racing - each one a piece of history.
The collection tells tales in metal and rubber - 69 machines that trace the evolution of Formula One from the 1931 Bugatti Type 54S through to Michael Schumacher's championship Ferrari of 2002. Each car holds memories of triumph, tragedy, and the raw politics that defined the sport.
"I love these cars, but the time has come to think about what happens when I'm gone."
His path to ownership mirrors the cars themselves - starting from nothing, evolving through force of will. Born to a fisherman in Suffolk, young Bernie left school at 16, selling motorcycle parts after World War II. The spark of racing drew him in, first as a driver, then as a team owner.
The collection includes the Brabham cars from his days running that team in the 1970s and 80s. Under his guidance, Nelson Piquet drove to world championships in 1981 and 1983. But ownership of cars represented only part of his vision.
"I saw what television could do," he says, remembering the deals that would transform Formula One. Through force of personality and business instinct, he gathered the sport's threads into his hands - TV rights, race contracts, team agreements. The money followed.
The Ferrari section of his collection speaks to power - both mechanical and political. The 1957 Dino 246 carries the heritage of Mike Hawthorn's championship. The 312T remembers Niki Lauda's title fight. Each machine represents a negotiation, a relationship, a piece moved on Ecclestone's chessboard.
Tom Hartley Jr., tasked with selling the collection, speaks of values beyond numbers: "Some pieces stand beyond price. They represent moments that changed the sport."
The Brabham BT46B 'Fan Car' sits in pride of place - a testament to innovation pushed to limits. It raced once, dominated, then withdrew under pressure. The story epitomizes Formula One - technology versus politics, progress versus control.
Now Ecclestone looks to the future without these machines. His wife Fabiana, 47 years his junior, need not wrestle with their fate. The collection will pass to new hands through private sales rather than auction - control maintained to the end.
The sport he shaped continues without him. Liberty Media guides Formula One now, but echoes of Ecclestone's influence remain in every television contract, every race weekend, every strategic decision.
"These cars need homes that understand their worth," he says. "They're not just metal. They're stories." Each chassis carries memories of champions - Lauda, Piquet, Schumacher. Each represents a deal struck, a battle won, a transformation achieved.
Bernie Ecclestone transformed himself from motorcycle dealer to Formula One ruler. His collection traces that journey in metal and memory, from the grass roots of British racing to the pinnacle of global sport. As the machines move to new homes, they carry with them the legacy of a man who saw beyond the race track to build an empire.
