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Vijay Mallya was always known to be a colorful personality amongst Indian Corporate Honchos. He has successfully cultivated an image of being a “King of Good Times”. And amongst his many colorful passions, he is also known for his passion for cars.
Indeed, he has been credited to the first Indian to own the F1 car, which he used to regularly race at the Sholavaram Race track in the 1980s. He was also the first Indian to have his company’s logo on an F1 Car – Kingfisher Logo being embossed on Schumacher’s Bennetton in 1996.
However, sadly, due to his financial bankruptcy, many of his cars were auctioned off in 2016.
Here is a list of some of his cars :
Mercedes 220SE
Only 2,729 units of the W111220SE have been made, and Mallya owned one.
Ferrari 328 GTS
This was the mid-engined V8 Ferrari that was the predecessor of the 348. The GTS moniker denotes that it is a Targa top.
Ferrari 512M & Lamborghini Countach
This Ferrari was the last version of the famous Testarossa. It was powered by a 4.9-liter V12 engine, Only 501 cars were built.
The Countach is the car that adorns the walls of many enthusiasts' bedrooms.
Also seen in the background is the 95 meter Indian Empress, which is powered by three 10,000hp 20-cylinder engines.
1903 Humber
This car fetched reportedly nearly Rs 1 Crore when it was auctioned.
Rolls Royce Ghost
This car, known for its grandeur, is also, ironically, the most favourite car for those who are rich and on the wrong side of the law. Across the World, this car is confiscated very regularly. A favorite luxury car among those on the wrong side of the law.
Porsche Boxster
A car that is in the stable of every true enthusiast. However, at the time of its auction, Mallya’s car was not supposedly in the best condition.
Bentley Flying Spur
Another of the many luxury cars in Mallya’s stable. This was a first-gen version car and based on the Continental GT. The car had been stationed in Goa.
Maserati Indy
The Indy: a 2-door, 4-seater coupe built between 1969 and 1975. Designed by Vignale and the first car produced under Citröen ownership.
Maybach
Arguably the most luxurious car of its time. Available in 2 wheelbases: Maybach 57 and Maybach62. However, the model was discontinued by Daimler, due to poor sales.
Allard JR
The company was a London-based car maker and around 12 years of age. The JR was powered by the Cadillac Engine (produces power of 300bhp) and had been entered in the 24-hour LeMans race.
Ferrari 275 GTB
This model was a successor to the famous 250.
GTB expanded is Gran Turismo Berlinetta. The car’s engine is a 3.3L V12 engine.
Jaguar E-Type
Even Enzo Ferraro had said that this is the most beautiful car ever built. In Mallya’s stable was a Series 3 convertible powered by a 5.3L V12 engine.
Mercedes 300SL Gullwing
The 300 SL had gullwing doors and then, was the fastest production car of its time. It was powered by a straight-6 engine and had a top speed of 263 km/h.
Jaguar D-Type
This was a racing car built specifically for Le Mans.
The D-Types won Le Mans in 1955, 1956, and 1957.
Alfa Romeo 2500S Bucci Special
This car featured a custom body built in Argentina by Nestor Salerno. It was originally fitted to Clemar Bucci's 1937 Alfa Romeo 12C.
1972 Ferrari Dino
The Dino was built to honor Enzo Ferrari’s late son Dino, who had built the engines.
It is a range of V6-powered sports cars.
Ferrari 365 California Spyder
Only 14 units of the 365 California Spyder were produced. Powered by a 4.4-liter V12 engine
1958 Edsel Citation
This was the flagship of the Edsel line-up. Mallya's car was said to be a 2-door convertible.
Ensign F1
Ensign was a British Formula 1 team that took part in the competition between 1973 and 1982. Ford Cosworth 3.0L V8 engine powered the cars. This particular car had been built for the 1977 season and then rented to other drivers. Jackie Ickx and Nelson Piquet had driven the car and that Mallya bought it in the early '80s.
McLaren M10A F5000
This was a racing car built to take part in the Formula 5000 racing series. Powered by a 5.0-liter Chevrolet V8 engine.
March 73A F5000
The car was built by March Engineering and took part in the F5000 racing series.
Mercedes K Type
The W29 is a 2-door convertible grand touring car. K stands for Kompressor (German for supercharger).
Shelby Cobra 427
This car was powered by the big American V8 engines. It was built by Carroll Shelby. Had the body from AC Cars and a Ford V8 engine.
Mercedes CLK GTR Roadster
Was purchased from the Sultan of Brunei and 1 of 6 CLK GTR Roadsters in the world.
Plymouth Prowler
It was spotted with the Kingfisher branding and used to shuttle between Mallya's residences in Bangalore and Mumbai.