The Sultan Of Brunei's Priceless Car Collection

The Sultan of Brunei's car collection is the largest private car collection in the world, consisting of approximately 7,000 cars with an estimated combined value of over $5 billion. The collection was put together with the help of the Sultan's brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, and other members of the royal family. Here is a glimpse into the collection:

- Bentleys from the 1980s and 1990s, mostly Azure and Continental models, worth approximately $80 million.

- Bentley Dominator SUV, a unique model that arrived long before the Bentayga.

- Continental R Superfast, Buccaneer GT coupe, and the Java with its powerful twin-turbo V8 engine.

- Ferrari F50, of which the Sultan owns several, including a right-hand drive model.

- Ferrari 250 GTOs, of which the Sultan owns two.

- Ferrari 456 GT Venice Cabriolet, a gorgeous wagon-style Ferrari.

- Ferrari FX and Ferrari Mythos, both of which are extremely rare.

- Porsche 928 S4s, with the Sultan owning 32 of them.

- Porsche 959s, despite less than 350 ever being made.

- Daur 962 Le Mans, with the Sultan owning five of the 13 road-going versions.

- Mercedes-Benz S73 T AMG Wagon, with a 7.3-liter V12 engine shared with the Pagani Zonda C12S.

- Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Coupe, the only right-hand drive GTR version in the world – all the others got produced as left-hand drive cars.

- Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental, also known as the Star of India, purchased at an auction for around $14 million.

- Aston Martin V8 Vantage Special Series II, of which the Sultan is the only person in the world to own.

- McLaren F1, of which the Sultan owns 10 of the 106 ever produced.

- Lamborghini Urraco, with the Sultan owning one of the 791 units ever produced.

- Bugatti EB 110s, with the Sultan owning several, including a yellow model with a Nero Inchios interior.

- BMW Nazca M12, a concept intended as a successor to the M1.

Bentleys

The Sultan of Brunei's collection of Bentleys is estimated to be worth around $80 million. The collection includes many unique models, such as the Bentley Dominator, Bentley Buccaneer, Bentley Java, and the Bentley Continental R. The Sultan's collection of Bentleys is estimated to be around 380 in total.

The Bentley Dominator

The Sultan of Brunei had six Dominators built, each with an identical specification but different colour schemes. One was finished in bright yellow, with the other five in metallic grey, bright red, and royal blue. The cost of the project was estimated at £3,000,0000 per car, with each Dominator costing approximately $4 million.

The Dominator was Bentley's first SUV, predating the Bentley Bentayga by over 20 years. The Sultan of Brunei was the top customer for Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the mid-1990s, buying around a third of all models sold during certain years. The Sultan also commissioned many one-off vehicles including several Ferraris and Rolls-Royce and Bentley models.

The Sultan's car collection is the largest private car collection in the world, consisting of approximately 7,000 cars which have an estimated combined value of over $5 billion. The collection includes many one-off vehicles, with the Sultan's collection of Ferrari F40s, McLaren F1s, and Rolls-Royce vehicles being particularly notable due to the rarity of the vehicles and their value.

The Ferrari F50

The F50's design is a testament to Ferrari's engineering prowess and attention to detail. Its body is constructed from carbon fibre, resulting in a lightweight yet rigid structure. The exterior styling is sleek and aggressive, with a low-slung stance and distinctive air intakes. The interior is a mix of luxury and sportiness, with leather and carbon fibre accents.

The Sultan of Brunei's F50 is believed to be one of the rarest and most exclusive vehicles in his collection. It is rumoured that he commissioned the creation of this car, drawing inspiration from Formula 1 race cars. This particular F50 is finished in a stunning shade of red, a colour often associated with Ferrari.

The F50 was an evolution of the Ferrari F40, incorporating advancements in technology and performance. It is said that the Sultan of Brunei owned eleven Ferrari F40s, which underwent cosmetic and performance modifications by Pininfarina, an Italian car design firm.

The Ferrari Mythos

The Mythos was built on the platform of the Testarossa, which dictated the car's wedge shape and large air intake ahead of the rear wheels. The design of the Mythos later evolved into the Ferrari F40's successor, the F50.

The Mythos is powered by a 4.9L Tipo F113 B Ferrari flat-12 engine sourced from the Testarossa, with a power output of 390 hp at 6,300 rpm and 354 N⋅m of torque at 4,500 rpm while having a power-to-weight ratio of 308 hp per tonne. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Testarossa-sourced 5-speed manual transmission. The car utilises a helical coil suspension system with transverse arms on the front and rear. Acceleration figures of the car remain unknown, but the Mythos has a projected top speed of around 290 km/h (180 mph).

Although not intended to be sold to the public, the current Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is known to have commissioned three Mythos, with one being red, one blue, and the other black. The black example belongs to Jefri Bolkiah, the Sultan's brother.

The Mythos was never intended to be sold to the public, but it was prominently featured in the 1990 racing video game Test Drive III.

The BMW Nazca M12

The original concept car is still under BMW's ownership, but reports suggest that the Sultan of Brunei paid Italian coachbuilder Italdesign an undisclosed sum of money to make a second version specifically for him. Only one alleged photo of this second M12 exists, but if it's real, then it's the only privately-owned M12 in the world.

Underneath the carbon fiber body, the M12 sourced BMW’s best available engine, the V12 from the BMW 750i and 850i. This five-liter unit produced 300 bhp, which was good enough to propel the car to 180 mph. Unlike the M1, BMW didn't want to go through the hassle of putting the M12 into regular production.

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