His crazy collection includes Ferraris, Bugattis, Aston Martins, Porsches and even a Lotus, just to scratch the surface.
Nick Mason is best known as the drummer for the legendary English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, who are popular not only in the mainstream music scene but also among musicologists as the band was instrumental in creating the progressive rock genre. A slightly lesser known fact, however, is that as well as being a car enthusiast, drummer Nick Mason has one of the craziest classic car collections to date.
His crazy collection includes Ferraris, Bugattis, Aston Martins, Porsches and even a Lotus, just to scratch the surface. While most of these cars are truly vintage in every way, the performance potential of these cars is truly legendary and confirms their legitimacy as racing cars rather than just ancient relics. Additionally, as a true enthusiast, Manson goes beyond collecting and hoarding classic racing cars to actually drive them. So they can do what they do best: prove their performance potential in races.
The collection includes around 40 sports cars, mostly made up of vintage racing legends, although he owns a few modern sports cars. His car collection is priceless both historically and financially. It’s rumored to be worth almost twice as much as his own fortune generated from his membership in Pink Floyd.
Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic cars in his collection and briefly discuss their meaning.
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
Via: Top Gear
As one of several Ferraris in his collection, Mason’s 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is the most iconic and definitely the most valuable car in his collection.
Only 36 of these cars were ever built, each of which was hand built. Designed for racing, this car has a minimalist interior, no speedometer and a quad cam V12 engine to ensure that performance requirements are met. After paying £ 37,000 for the GTO in 1977, the car is now worth more than $ 48 million, as evidenced by the purchase of a similar ’62 GTO that was sold at RM Sotheby’s 2018 auction. Additionally, there are rumors that there was a private sale of another GTO for USD 70 million. However, this has not been verified and is left to the internet to prove.
1957 Maserati 250F
Via: GQ
Another important red racing machine adorns his collection of classic cars, another crazy rarity: 1957 Maserati 250F.
“The 250F is the archetypal Grand Prix car”
The performance of this machine was optimized like a giant rocket and demonstrated at the Grand Prix of the 1950s. Mason himself said (quoted in Motor1) that “the 250F is the archetypal Grand Prix car”.
The relatively small 2.5-liter in-line six-cylinder engine has been refined several times throughout the history of the 250F, allowing the Maserati 250F to win several Grand Prix, making it a key era in racing in the 1950s.
1996 McLaren F1 GTR
Via: Gran Turismo
We complete the trifecta of red racy cars in Mason’s collection examined in this article and have the 1996 McLaren F1 GTR.
The McLaren F1 is an amazing rail vehicle in every way, but its GTR variant takes it a step further. Mason had this car rebuilt for road use, the first racing car that McLaren rebuilt for road use. The 6.1 liter V12 engine put out around 600 horsepower and created a vicious performance beast that is now legal on the road. However, it can be difficult to control great performance as Manson crashed the GTR on an exhibition lap at the Goodwood Circuit in 2017. Fortunately, the car has now been repaired.
2013-2016 Ferrari LaFerrari
Via: DuPont Registry
One of the modern cars in Mason’s collection is a LaFerrari supercar in the rare Blu Pozzi finish.
It is one of 499 LaFerraris ever made and finished in a unique color, which not only makes it an incredible rarity but also utterly gorgeous. According to HP, the 6.3-liter V12 engine is one of the most powerful cars in its collection and develops a monstrous 950 HP. Interestingly, as well as driving, Mason enjoys being a passenger, provided the car is in good hands. The sheer power, rarity, and consequent importance of such a car make it a perfect addition to Mason’s collection.
1959 Maserati bird cage
Via: Drive Magazine
Another important classic car racer in his collection is the Maserati Tipo 61 ‘Birdcage’ from 1959.
This particular car is the last of 6 of these cars ever produced, making it a rare car again. The tubular frame construction of this car makes it incredibly light and combined with its 3 liter in-line four engine, a competent racing car. According to Petrolicious.com, the construction was due to economic constraints, but the car is still performing exceptionally well. Mason himself is quoted in Top Gear and describes the bird cage as “[his] Favorite driver. “
1927 Bugatti Type 35
Via: British GQ
As one of his oldest cars, the Bugatti Type 35 from 1927 plays an important role in his collection as a time-defining automobile.
“Faster than a Porsche around the corner at Silverstone [911] GT3 “
The idea of a racing car from the 1920s scares most people, and very few people are willing to drive one of these cars. From the insanely thin tires to the 2.3 liter supercharged engine, this car seems dangerous in several ways. Terrifyingly, Mason states that Silverstone is “around the corner faster than a Porsche” [911] GT3 “(quoted in Top Gear).
While the open cabin did little to allay concerns, the Type 35 won several events and made it a legendary car.
Sources: GQ, TopGear, Motor1, Petrolicious.com, TheSuperCarBlog.com
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