Bernie Ecclestone’s incredible collection of 69 racing cars is going up for sale

Owning the commercial rights to Formula One for three decades has its perks, like infinite bottomless trackside brunches, private after-hour circuit tours and your pick of retired racing cars. Obviously.

That’s precisely what Bernie Ecclestone has done, the former F1 supremo having accumulated a collection of 69 cars spanning 70 years of history between them. And guess what? You can now buy them - all of them if your pockets are deep enough - by speaking to the team at Tom Hartley Jnr.

Suppose you want to know what your blank cheque purchase would get you; how’s a one-off, Gordon Murray-designed Brabham ‘BT46B’ fan car for starters? Its sole race came at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, where it won by more than half a minute driven by Niki Lauda.

The great Austrian’s Ferrari 312T - in which he won the first of three drivers’ championships - is also present, as is Michael Schumacher’s dominant F2002 and Alberto Ascari’s gorgeous 375.

And then there’s the Vanwall VW10 which, under the tutelage of Sir Stirling Moss, became the first British car to win a race (1957 British Grand Prix) and constructors’ championship (1958) in Formula One.

Ahead of the sale, Ecclestone said: “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.

“A Grand Prix and in particular a Formula One car is far more important than any road car or other form of race car, as it is the pinnacle of the sport, and all the cars I have bought over the years have fantastic race histories and are rare works of art.”

We’ve no idea how much the lot could fetch, but we’re tempted to put in an offer of fifty quid and a packet of Jammie Dodgers for the Auto Union V16.