In every corner of the world, there are impressive and expensive car collections owned by celebrities, royalty, museums, and passionate gearheads. One collection stands out above all the rest, however, to the point that it seems fabricated. Mostly hidden from public view, the Sultan of Brunei owns a classic and exotic car collection that is considered to be the most outrageous and extravagant.
Estimates suggest that the Sultan of Brunei owns anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles, a collection valued at over $5 billion. This collection is so vast that it redefines what "crazy" means in the automotive world.
Let's dig into this classic car collection to gain a better understanding of how insane it actually is.
The Scale of the Sultan of Brunei's Car Collection
What makes this collection so unique and mind-blowing isn't just the cost of the cars. It's the sheer volume of rare and exotic vehicles. The Sultan started his collection in the 1980s during a period of immense oil wealth. It was reported that he was buying supercars every week.
Unlike most collectors who seek one type of car or model, the Sultan bought dozens of the same ones at a time, sometimes in different colors and sometimes identical. His collection includes hundreds of Ferraris, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, and Porsches, to name a few. Most of these were one-off commissions, meaning another one doesn't exist anywhere else.
Rare Prototypes
The number of cars in this collection that cannot be replaced elevates it over the vast collections of people like Jay Leno and Ralph Lauren. The Sultan owns custom Ferrari models that were never released to the public, including bespoke versions.
Bentley and Rolls-Royce also made exclusive models at his request, including custom Bentleys built before the company was acquired by Volkswagen. These cars had handcrafted interiors, unique bodywork, and were tailored to the Sultan's preferences. In some cases, no official records of these cars exist beyond factory documentation. This makes them challenging to accurately value, but many collectors see them as priceless artifacts, not something that should be put up for sale.
The Secrecy Around This Car Collection
Unlike many car collections that are open to the public or garner a ton of press, the Sultan's is rarely seen or photographed. Most are stored in a climate-controlled warehouse in various parts of Brunei. Over time, reports surfaced that some fell into disrepair from neglect due to the collection's overwhelming size.
The secrecy shrouding this collection adds to its mystique. Access is restricted, and very few of these vehicles have been publicly documented. For passionate car enthusiasts, the idea of thousands of rare vehicles existing unseen feels almost mythical.
The Sultan of Brunei's classic and exotic car collection is one of the most extreme examples of wealth intersecting with passion. Its size, rarity, and estimated worth place it in a category of its own. While other collections may be more thoughtfully curated or admired by the masses, none rival the outrageousness of this one. This is more than a car collection. It's a monument to royal excess.
