[ChiragM]

The King of Good Times had one envious collection of cars, and even a fleeting look at the garage would leave you with absolutely no doubt that he is indeed a true enthusiast.

His passion for cars can be traced back several decades, and legend has it that he was the first Indian to ever own an F1 car, which he would regularly race alongside the lesser vehicles at Sholavaram race track in the 1980s. He went on to be the first Indian to have his company branding on an F1 car - with the Kingfisher logo on Schumacher's Bennetton in 1996.

With his collection spanning many decades and categories, Mallya's cars were kept in different parts of the world including California, Europe and across India. Unfortunately, to clear his debts, many of his cars were auctioned off in 2016.

Here's a list of cars that he has owned:

Mercedes 220SE

This pic was taken at the Mandwa jetty, across the bay from Mumbai. Mallya kept a lot of his cars in his Mandwa house. According to Wikipedia, only 2,729 units of the W111 220 SE were made.

Ferrari 328 GTS

The 328 was the mid-engined V8 Ferrari that preceded the 348. The GTS moniker denotes that it is a targa top.

Ferrari 512M & Lamborghini Countach

The Ferrari was the last version of the famous Testarossa. Powered by a 4.9-litre V12 engine, 501 cars were built.
And of course, the Countach is the car that adorned the walls of many enthusiasts' bedrooms.
In the background is the 95 meter Indian Empress, powered by three 10,000hp 20-cylinder engines.

1903 Humber

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Reports suggest that this 1903 Humber went for nearly Rs. 1 crore when it was auctioned off!

Rolls Royce Ghost

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Seems to be a favourite luxury car among those on the wrong side of the law. A surprisingly high number of Ghosts have been confiscated by the cops over the years.

Porsche Boxster

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How can you be a true enthusiast and not have a Porsche! At the time of auction, it is said that this Boxster was unfortunately not in a great shape.

Bentley Flying Spur

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One of the many luxury cars that occupied Mallya's garage. The Flying Spur was based on the Continental GT. This is the first-gen version of the car. The car was stationed in Goa.

Maserati Indy

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The Indy was a 2-door, 4-seater coupe built between 1969 and 1975. It was designed by Vignale and was the first car produced under the Citröen ownership.

Maybach

One of the most luxurious cars of its time. It was available in two wheelbases - Maybach 57 and Maybach 62. Daimler discontinued this version of the Maybach due to poor sales.

Allard JR

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Allard was a London-based car maker and was around for just 12 years. The company built small lightweight British sports cars powered by American engines. The JR was powered by a Cadillac engine that produced 300 BHP and was entered in the 24-hour LeMans race.

Ferrari 275 GTB

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The 275 succeeded the famous 250. GTB stands for Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The car is powered by a 3.3L V12 engine.

Jaguar E-Type

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Enzo Ferrari said that this is the most beautiful car ever built. Mallya had a Series 3 convertible powered by a 5.3L V12 engine.

Mercedes 300SL Gullwing

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Two of the biggest talking points for the 300SL was the gullwing doors and that it was the fastest production car of its time. Powered by a straight-6 engine, it could reach a top speed of 263 km/h.

Jaguar D Type

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The D Type was a racing car built specifically for Le Mans. D-Types won Le Mans in 1955, 1956 and 1957.

Alfa Romeo 2500S Bucci Special

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The car featured a custom body built by Nestor Salerno in Argentina, and was originally fitted to Clemar Bucci's 1937 Alfa Romeo 12C.

1972 Ferrari Dino

The Dino is a range of V6-powered sports cars built to honour Enzo's late son, who built the engines powering the car.

Ferrari 365 California Spyder

It is said that only 14 units of the 365 California Spyder were produced. It was powered by a 4.4-litre V12 engine.

1958 Edsel Citation

The Citation was the flagship of the Edsel line-up. Mallya's car is said to be a 2-door convertible.

Ensign F1

Ensign is a British Formula 1 team that took part in the competition between 1973 and 1982. The cars were powered by a Ford Cosworth 3.0L V8 engine. This particular car was built for the 1977 season and was later rented to other drivers. It is said that Jackie Ickx and Nelson Piquet drove the car and that Mallya bought it in the early '80s.

McLaren M10A F5000

The McLaren M10 was a racing car built to take part in the Formula 5000 racing series. It is powered by a 5.0-litre Chevrolet V8 engine.

March 73A F5000

The car was built by March Engineering to take part in the F5000 racing series.

Mercedes K Type

The W29 is a 2-door convertible grand touring car. The K stands for Kompressor (German for supercharger).

Shelby Cobra 427

Looks like Mallya loves his British sports cars powered by big American V8 engines. The Shelby Cobra was built by Carroll Shelby. It had the body from AC Cars and a Ford V8 engine.

Mercedes CLK GTR Roadster

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Note the custom "VJM" plates! This is 1 of 6 CLK GTR Roadsters in the world, and was purchased from the Sultan of Brunei.

Plymouth Prowler

Spotted here in Mumbai donning the Kingfisher branding, this Prowler used to shuttle between Mallya's residences in Bangalore and Mumbai.

1948 Fiat Rocco Corsa

[ChiragM]

1931 Pierce-Arrow

Pierce-Arrow is an American car maker based in Buffalo, New York. It was active between 1901 and 1938.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Own of the many S-Classes Mallya owned. This is a fourth-gen W220 S-Class.

Porsche 550 RS Spyder

Mallya's 550 RS Spyder won the FIVA post war award after winning Best of Show at the 2010 Marin Sonoma Concours. It is said to be one of the most original 550s surviving to date and still features its original soft top. Mallya bought the car in 1999.

Mazda MX-5

One of the best-selling 2-seater roadsters in the market. There are quite a few specimens in India.

Lanchester

This Lanchester sold for almost Rs. 2 crores when it was auctioned off.

Mercedes W116 280 SE

The W116 was the first Mercedes to officially be called the S-Class. The 280 SE is powered by a 2.8-litre straight-six engine.

Rolls Royce Silver Spirit

More than 30,000 units of the Silver Spirit were built between 1965 and 1980.

Rolls Royce Phantom

This could be a Series 2 or a Series 3 Rolls-Royce Phantom.

Maserati Quattroporte

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Quattroporte quite literally means "four doors" in Italian. It is powered by a V8 engine.

Rolls Royce Phantom

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Along with the older Rolls Royce cars, Mallya also had a newer Rolls Royce Phantom.

Mercedes SLK

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This red 2-door hardtop convertible was quite appropriately stationed at Mallya's Goa house.

Mercedes S-Class W221

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Just like the SLK pictured above, this S-Class was also parked in Goa. It is said that Mallya also had a V12-powered W221 S600.

Wolseley

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This car has taken part in many vintage rallies. It fetched more than Rs. 1 crore when auctioned off.

1913 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

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This Silver Ghost was sold new to an Australian, who owned it till his death. Post the owner's death, the car changed a few hands, before landing up in Mallya's collection.

1925 Sunbeam Tiger

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The Tiger was built by Sunbeam to become the fastest car in the world. Henry Segrave recorded a top speed 245.15 km/h. After the attempt was made, the car was used as a race car. It broke many records during its racing career.

1957 Ford Thunderbird

Although it was positioned directly against the Corvette, Ford never marketed the Thunderbird as a sporty car. It was sold as a personal luxury car.

Mercedes 170


1929 Ford Model A

Built between 1928 and 1931, the Model A was the successor to the famous Model T. It was available in 9 body styles and 4.85 million of these cars were made.

Jaguar XJR 15

Powered by a 6.0-litre V12 engine, the XJR 15's chassis was based on Le Mans-winning XJR-9. Only 53 cars were built.

Jaguar XJ220

The XJ220 succeeded the XJR 15. At the time of launch, it was the fastest production car in the world. The car reached a top speed of 350 km/h and held the record until it was beaten by the McLaren F1.

1959 Osca tipo S Le Mans sports car

OSCA is an Italian sportscar maker based in Bologna. The company was set up by the Maserati brothers in 1947, and shut shop in 1967.

V8 Trike

Bound to turn heads, this massive V8 powered trike is an apt ride for Goa.

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!


Man... for me that CLK GTR is special! And that too a roadster.

Some articles on the net say that Mallya purchased the car in an auction, and hasn't even seen it in person yet!

Guess he's got bigger worries to deal with now...

[neerajdan]

Awesome collection and a true petrol head. Along with his past collection, can we get more information about the current status?

I remember seeing pictures of his Maybach 9999 at the Mercedes rally in Mumbai last year.

Also his other Maybach kept in California was sold last month online where the attached pictures showed his wife's name on the ownership documents. Car had done barely 30,000 miles and was one owner.

[haisaikat]

The Porsche 550 RS Spyder is my pick of the lot, although it came in the 50s, yet it's specs are still practical in modern terms and had a design that was quite futuristic in its time with optimal curves. It's a classic which has the potential to be a daily driver as well as a race car.

On a different note, PNB should be really proud of financing most of these if not all

[JTM]

This is one collection which I guess most of us had no idea about(mainly me ) Thanks a lot @ChiragM for starting this thread. The CLK GTR Roadster is the essence of many car enthusiasts' dreams. I think the Sultan of Brunei has even more such aces up his sleeve.
Has there ever been a function when at least 70% of these cars were together? That would surely be a mesmerising sight.

On a different note, PNB should be really proud of financing most of these if not all

That's brutal.

[MSJ]

Such a beautiful Collection although a few of his elusive cars missing though.

Apart From the above cars, he has a Mercedes Benz 300 SLR, BMW M1, Jaguar C Type, Maybach 62, Maybach Landaulet, Mini Countryman, Ferrari F430 Spider, Range Rover 5.0 Autobiography, Range Rover Sport, W222 Mercedes-Maybach S600, and an Audi TT Spyder.

The CLK GTR Was Although Made for the sultan of Brunei but it was Stored In Singapore And It is now under VJM's Ownership But he never collected/ drove it and is currently at DK Engineering.

[v12]

Amazing thread Chirag, it's always exciting to see a collection of a true petrol head. some of my favorite cars are there in his collection - the CLK GTR Roadster (Probably the only Indian to own one), the Jaguar XJR-15 and the XJ 220..

He also had a W221 S 600 and the blue Porsche Boxster is now in Mumbai.

I guess many of his cars are parked and gathering dust in the UB Towers basement.

Vijay Mallayas Maserati Merak - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vinta...-restored.html (Maserati Merak not accurately restored!)

[D33-PAC]

Yep Mallya was always another level not only for Indians but by any standard.


I am a hobby pilot and I always gazed at his gorgeous jet.

A 727 is a very rare plane to use for private aviation.

He also had very exclusive brands of yacht such as a Mangusta and Oceanco.



VJM's taste and passion extended to many aspects of his businesses.

It is difficult to compete with him in glamor or style unless one was a Saudi prince or a Sultan.

Also I think his yacht was bought from a Middle Eastern royal.

King of good times indeed !


Perhaps only the Poonawallas or Ambanis come close to Mallya in terms of joie de vivre today !

[GTO]

Man did really well in the liquor business, but blew it all away with the ill-fated airline business. I don't agree with what he did in the latter business, but man, he has taste in cars! You look at the collection and just know this isn't someone who had a lot of money...he had incredible taste as well. And not just in cars, even look at his homes, clothes, yachts & lifestyle. Truly the king of good times.

Here's one more car that we can count as being part of his collection

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[D33-PAC]

One more thing we need to note is VJM, despite his many shortcomings from the obvious issues, was an extremely successful guy in Formula 1.

He bought a backbench team and turned it into a solid midfielder.

Within two years of his acquisition the F1 team was on the podium in Belgium.

Fraud/scammer or not, when it came to toys and automotive, the man knew his subject.


VJM was not the "oh wow Ferrari let's go buy one and show it off type". He transcended to "let's compete with them in Formula 1" type.

[rohit choudhary]

Originally Posted by D33-PAC

Yep Mallya was always another level not only for Indians but by any standard.

Also I think his yacht was bought from a Middle Eastern royal.

Yes you are absolutely right it was launched in 2000 as the Al Mirqab belonging to the Qatari Royal Family, it was purchased by him in 2006 for 113 million $ and was auctioned off in 2018 for around 51 million $.

[kamilharis]

Thanks for the thread, I never ever knew this guy had such an amazing collection!

He is for sure a collector, most of the pieces are super rare and unique. I don't think there is any better collection than VJMs in India, I would even say that this is one of the best collections around the globe.

It would be really great if someone could throw more lights on the current status of his collections.

Scammer or not I don't know, but I love such guys who have got 'swag' in them.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by D33-PAC

Yep Mallya was always another level not only for Indians but by any standard.


I am a hobby pilot and I always gazed at his gorgeous jet.

A 727 is a very rare plane to use for private aviation.

I'm not denying VJ's wealth but his 727 Registration "N727VJ "was probably bought at a bargain price given that its a 1967 manufactured aircraft and would have been around 40 years old when he bought it in the 2000s and he would have been the 7th owner!

It is currently being scrapped or already has been in Arizona, USA.



He had a private Airbus A319 Registered "VT-VJM" which he bought new for $90 million in 2006 was sold for scrap for just Rs. 34 Crore in 2018.

[TrackDay]

A diverse collection indeed on our shores, though now not under one roof.

Man to lose access to that collection ! Like Richard Branson said, 'If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline'. Were it not for that one wrong move, he would have thrived with the liquor business and could have rolled with the good times.

My pick of the collection would be the CLK GTR. I see it is abroad, most probably UK. Might he still be using it ? Also any clue what rides he uses these days over there ?