Romanian billionaire who forgot he owned a Ferrari F40 also owns F1 winning race car

  • He owns one of Europe’s largest car collections
  • He previously forgot about a Ferrari F40 he owned for 10 years
  • But this F1-winning race car could be the jewel in his car collection

Published on Jul 17, 2024 at 7:01 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Jul 18, 2024 at 6:34 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

Remember the Romanian billionaire who forgot he owned a Ferrari F40? He also has an enviable collection of cars, including a winning F1 race car.

The RB6 was an unstoppable Formula 1 car, and now it’s part of Europe’s largest car collection.

READ MORE! Highly coveted 1987 Ferrari F40 was the last car to receive approval from Enzo Ferrari

The F1-winning 2010 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB6

2010 Oracle Red Bull Racing RB6 was an unstoppable force in F1.

It reached the podium 20 times, with nine victories and a total of 498 points starting from 15 pole positions.

First, it propelled Oracle Red Bull Racing to an initial World Constructors’ Championship.

Later it allowed Sebastian Vettel to gain first place in the World Drivers’ Championship in 2010.

It boasts technical innovations including the ‘F-Duct’ system, which allows the driver to control airflow to reduce aerodynamic drag on straight sections of the track, increasing the top speed.

What’s more, the double diffuser generated additional aerodynamic pressure to enhance grip and maneuverability on corners.

The result was a new standard set for F1.

Now cart of former tennis professional and current billionaire,  Ion Țiriac’s Țiriac Collection at a museum near Bucharest, Romania.

The chassis #13 car is equipped with an updated livery of 2016-2017 season.

The RB6 was designed and developed by designer Adrian Newey.

“RB6 was probably the car with the most significant downforce in the history of Formula 1,” Newey said.

It was equipped with an 8-cylinder engine and weighed in at 95kg (209lbs).

Considering these stats, it packed a massive 750 horsepower with a displacement of 2,400 cubic centimeters.

What’s more, it could rev up to 18,000rpm. 

The forgotten Ferrari F40

Despite being one of the most iconic Ferraris ever, Țiriac forgot the Ferrari F40 for ten years after he bought it.

That could be because his collection includes over 400 vehicles, from good old vintage cars to modern sports cars like the Porsche 911.

As explained on a video shared to his YouTube channel, Țiriac owned two Ferrari F40s — he purchased the first from Gerhard Berger, who was Ferrari’s F1 driver at the time.

Berger was quite a celebrity back then.

Later, someone tried to take the car off his hands for a considerable price.

But the Monaco-based billionaire rejected the offer and bought another Ferrari F40 instead.

That too for a lesser amount than he could sell the first one for.

Now, he had two F40s but didn’t have a place for the latest addition in his Monaco residence.

So, Țiriac decided to park the new F40 in Munich, where he had some other Ferraris stored.

Tiriac Collection

10 years later, the person taking care of the Munich garage reminded the billionaire about his abandoned Ferraris.

The Ferrari F40 isn’t just any other car — it holds a special place in the automaker’s entire lineup.

Now, it’s not the latest V12-powered 12Cilindri, but it has its perks.

For starters, the F40 was the last model that the Italian automaker built before the end of Enzo Ferrari’s tenure.

Plus, the company only put 1,311 units in the market, it’s a rare find even when you remember it’s there.


user

Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the experienced content creator and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms and coveted brands. When her OOO is on you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym or exploring the city she loves.