Bernie Ecclestone has sold his private car collection—one of the most valuable in the world—to Red Bull billionaire Mark Mateschitz. While the exact sale price remains undisclosed, the collection is estimated to be worth £500 million.
Mateschitz, 32, is now the proud owner of 69 Grand Prix cars, making him, in Ecclestone’s words, the “most worthy” custodian. The sale follows Ecclestone’s concerns that his wife, Fabiana, would be unsure what to do with the cars after his passing.
“It means a great deal to me to know this collection is in the very best hands,” Ecclestone, 94, said. “Mark is the best owner we could ever imagine.”
Mateschitz, who inherited a 49% stake in Red Bull after his father Dietrich’s passing in 2022, has promised to preserve and expand the collection. He also plans to open it to the public in the future.
The collection spans decades of motorsport history, featuring iconic cars such as Mike Hawthorn’s 1958 Ferrari, Michael Schumacher and Niki Lauda’s Ferraris, and Sir Stirling Moss’s Vanwall VW10. It also includes Brabham cars from Ecclestone’s time owning the team before he transformed Formula 1 into a global powerhouse.
Reflecting on the sale, Ecclestone admitted he had considered selling the collection earlier. “I love all my cars, but maybe I should have done this five years ago. I never got around to it until now.”
Ecclestone now resides in Gstaad, Switzerland, and spends time on his coffee farm in Brazil. On the day of the sale, he picked up his four-year-old son, Ace—who shares his passion for cars—from school in Switzerland.
