The Sultan of Brunei once single-handedly purchased more than half the cars Bentley produced, saving them from bankruptcy
- The Sultan of Brunei famously owns thousands of cars
- A couple of decades ago, he bought dozens of Bentleys in one go
- His buying spree is believed to have saved Bentley from bankruptcy
Published on Jan 03, 2025 at 1:13 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Jan 06, 2025 at 10:39 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
The Sultan of Brunei once single-handedly saved Bentley from bankruptcy.
He did it by purchasing dozens of Bentley vehicles all in one go.
Some of these vehicles were built on commission for the Sultan himself.
Were it not for the Sultan’s ‘buying spree’, Bentley probably wouldn’t be here today.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The Bentley models acquired by the Sultan of Brunei
Different sources quote different figures, but the Sultan bought at least 23 vehicles from Bentley.
Most of these vehicles were limited-edition models built specifically for him, and concept cars and prototypes that never saw the light of day.
The Java is probably the best example.
It was originally unveiled as a one-off prototype for the 1994 Geneva Motor Show, but the Sultan commissioned 18 more Javas, including six coupes, six convertibles and six wagons.
Apart from the Java, he also bought the B3 and the B2, both based on the Continental R, and the Buccaneer, a retro-looking 2-door, 2+2 sports coupé.
He also bought the Dominator, an SUV designed in the 90s (for the Sultan) that also indirectly provided the inspiration for the Bentayga.
The Sultan’s car collection is incredible
It’s impossible to tell how many cars the Sultan owns, and he probably can’t keep track either.
According to most sources, including Wikipedia, he owns at least 7,000 cars, including hundreds of Rolls-Royce vehicles.
He even holds a Guinness World Record for his Rolls-Royces.
The Sultan also bought seven one-off Ferraris you won’t find anywhere else, as well as a gold-plated Rolls-Royce, which is apparently the world’s most expensive royal car.
Part of the reason why he owns so many cars is that when we say ‘The Sultan of Brunei’, we should really say ‘The Sultan of Brunei and his family’.
A lot of those cars actually belong to Prince Jefri Bolkiah, the Sultan’s brother.
On top of that, we’ve got the incredible car collection amassed by Prince Jefri’s son, which is also often attributed to the Sultan.
