While many are cautious about real estate or unsure where to invest amid global turbulence, collectible cars remain a stable—and prestigious—way to preserve and grow capital.
We’re talking about rare cars—not just expensive ones, but those with unique history, design, and limited production. From the Ferrari 250 GTO to the Mercedes SL73 AMG, these cars are bought not only for pleasure but also as long-term investment tools. Why? Because their value steadily increases.
According to the Knight Frank Wealth Report, investments in collectible cars rank among the top 5 most profitable alternative asset classes in Europe, with an average annual return of 24–26%. That’s higher than most stock indices and even real estate. Moreover, the classic car market shows low correlation with traditional assets, making it particularly attractive in uncertain times.
In an age of geopolitical tension and high inflation, historic cars have become true “mobile vaults.”
To measure profitability, investors use CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)— the average annual growth rate of value. The formula: (FinalValue/ InitialValue) (1 / n) – 1
So who are these investors with gasoline in their veins and spreadsheets in their heads? Let’s look at the most charismatic and calculating owners of automotive masterpieces, focusing on style, capital, and returns.
1. Bill Gates
Bill Gates isn’t just the co-founder of Microsoft—he’s one of the most systematic investors on the planet. He backs startups making synthetic meat with the same enthusiasm he has for nuclear energy. He also personally lobbied for the U.S. law that allowed the import of rare cars, just so he could get his hands on a Porsche 959. In his world, if there’s a law against luxury, it’s probably a bug—not a feature.
Bill Gates is known not only for his technology investments but also for his rare car collection. His garage includes various classic cars, with a strong focus on rare, high-performance vehicles. According to Hotcars media, Gates’ collection is often cited at around 23 vehicles. Among the cars he reportedly owns are notable models like the Porsche 959, which he lobbied to have imported to the U.S. His collection is also said to include a Ferrari 348, a Rolls-Royce Corniche, and a 1999 McLaren F1, considered one of the most iconic supercars ever made.
Key Car from the Collection:
McLaren F1
- Purchase Price (1999): ~$1M
- Current Value (2025): ~$20M
- Profit (1999–2025): ~$19M
- CAGR (1999–2025): ≈ 15.6% annually
- Future Value (2035 Est. Base @8% CAGR): ~$43M
- Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$23M
- Future Value (2035 Est. Bull @10% CAGR): ~$52M
- Bull Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$32M
Total Collection (est.)
- Current Value: ~$45M
- Average Car Value: ~$1.8M+ (driven up by McLaren F1)
- Total Profit (1999–2025): ~$44M
- Total Profit (2025–2035 Est. @7% CAGR): ~$44M
- Bull Profit (10% CAGR): ~$72M
Note: The difference between historical profit (up to 2025) and forward-looking estimates (to 2035) comes from projecting an additional 10 years of growth. The longer the horizon, the higher the cumulative profit due to compounding CAGR.
2. Volodymyr Nosov
Volodymyr Nosov is a European billionaire and entrepreneur, founder of one of the largest crypto exchanges in Europe – WhiteBIT. His net worth grew from zero to $7 billion faster than most people register a wallet. Nosov has an entire collection of rare cars, showcased in his video project WBT Garage, where he shares unique features, and investment potential of his automotive treasures. His private garage today counts around 150 cars worth an estimated $35 million, making it one of the most valuable personal collections in Europe.
He invests in cars consciously and strategically, expecting significant appreciation. One example is his Mercedes SL73 AMG, purchased for about $300K. Just a few years later, it’s already worth three times more. This car is exceptionally rare: while 85 units were originally planned for production, the actual number was just 35, as Volodymyr notes in his new WBT Garage episode. Of these, 18 went to the Sultan of Brunei, leaving only 17 available on the global market.
In the second episode of WBT Garage, Volodymyr talks about the Ferrari Dino 246 GT, a legendary model with a V6 engine, produced from 1969 to 1973. With only 38,000 km on the odometer and in original condition, this car has become a true collector’s item, now fetching prices at auction starting at €700,000. Thanks to its unique history and exceptional characteristics, the Dino continues to rise in value, making it a lucrative investment asset.
Key Car from the Collection:
Mercedes SL73 AMG
- Purchase Price (2020): ~$300K
- Current Value (2025): ~$900K
- Profit (2020–2025): ~$600K
- CAGR (2020–2025): ≈ 60% annually
- Future Value (2035 Est. Base @7% CAGR): ~$1.77M
- Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$870K
- Future Value (2035 Est. Bull @10% CAGR): ~$2.34M
- Bull Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$1.44M
Total Collection (150 cars)
- Current Value: ~$35M
- Average Car Value: ~$233K
- Total Profit (2020–2025): ~$20M
- Total Profit (2025–2035 Est. @7% CAGR): ~$34M
- Bull Profit (10% CAGR): ~$56M
3. David MacNeil
David MacNeil made his fortune in the automotive world, founding WeatherTech, a U.S. manufacturer of high-end custom-fit car accessories, from floor mats to trunk liners. With his fortune, he turned his attention to collecting rare and high-performance vehicles.Known for his impressive car collection, MacNeil owns around 14 cars (according to Agent4Stars), with a total value estimated at ~$150M based on the same source. His collection includes some of the most iconic and valuable cars in automotive history.
Among the standout models in his collection are the Ferrari 250 GTO (purchased for $70 million), the Bugatti Divo, and a range of Ferraris including the Ferrari F40, Ferrari Enzo, and Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. These cars represent a blend of engineering excellence, racing legacy, and timeless design, making them not just prized possessions, but also significant investments.
MacNeil’s approach to collecting is strategic. He doesn’t just seek out rare cars for the sake of rarity, his acquisitions reflect a deep appreciation for automotive history and engineering achievement. The Ferrari 250 GTO alone is considered one of the most coveted cars in the world, and its purchase for $70 million in 2018 was a record-breaking move.
Key Car from the Collection:
- Bugatti Divo
- Purchase Price (2019): ~$5.8M
- Current Value (2025): ~$6.5M
- Profit (2019–2025): ~$700K
- CAGR (2019–2025): ≈ 5.3% annually
- Future Value (2035 Est. Base @4.5% CAGR): ~$10.1M
- Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$3.6M
- Future Value (2035 Est. Bull @6% CAGR): ~$11.6M
- Bull Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$5.1M
- Total Collection
- Current Value: ~$150M
- Average Car Value: ~$10.7M
- Total Profit (2019–2025): ~$20M+
- Total Profit (2025–2035 Est. @4.5% CAGR): ~$91M
- Bull Profit (6% CAGR): ~$131M
4. Elon Musk
Co-founder of PayPal, CEO of Tesla, and founder of SpaceX is known not only for his revolutionary companies but also for his bold and sometimes eccentric lifestyle. Unsurprisingly, his car collection mirrors that energy: rare, theatrical, and high-performing. From driving a McLaren F1 with Peter Thiel until the suspension gave out, to buying a real James Bond submarine car, his garage is just as futuristic as his rocket fleet.
Musk’s collection is eclectic, with a strong emphasis on high-performance vehicles, but also includes unique and eccentric models. Media reports mention around 10 cars publicly known, with an estimated value of $50M–$75M, but there is speculation that Musk’s actual collection could already exceed 100 vehicles.
Key Car from the Collection:
- Lotus Esprit Submarine Car
- Auction Price (2013): £550,000 ≈ ~$865K (GBP/USD ≈ 1.57)
- Current Value (2025): ~$2M
- Profit (2013–2025): ~$1.14M
- CAGR (2013–2025): ≈ 8.7% annually
- Future Value (2035 Est. Base @8% CAGR): ~$4.3M
- Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$2.3M
- Future Value (2035 Est. Bull @10% CAGR): ~$5.2M
- Bull Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$3.2M
- Total Collection
- Current Value: ~$62.5M (mid-case, excluding potential hidden cars)
- Average Car Value: ~$5M
- Total Profit (2013–2025): ~$30M+
- Total Profit (2025–2035 Est. @7% CAGR): ~$60M
- Bull Profit (9% CAGR): ~$85M
5. Evert Louwman
Evert Louwman transformed his family’s automotive business into one of the world’s most respected museums: the Louwman Museum in The Hague. Unlike most billionaire collectors who focus on rarity and value alone, Louwman built a cultural treasury that preserves the entire story of the automobile. He personally curated many of the exhibits with Managing Director Kooyman, dividing the collection thematically: steam, electric and hybrid pioneers, brass-era icons, racing machines, cycle cars, aerodynamic experiments, and vehicles owned by historic figures.
The collection holds some of the world’s most important automobiles: from a Ford Model T and Volkswagen Beetle to design legends like the Chrysler Airflow and the Talbot-Lago teardrop coupe by Figoni et Falaschi. One of Louwman’s most meaningful finds is a 1936 Toyota AA discovered in Siberia. To highlight Dutch heritage, the museum owns 13 of the 16 surviving Spykers, including the world’s first six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive racer (1903). Today, the Louwman Museum has over 270 cars, with an estimated total value in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
But it isn’t only about cars. The museum integrates automobilia—posters, stained glass, trophies, toys, cigarette cases, and fine artworks by Carlo Demand, Peter Helck, Walter Gotschke and F. Gordon Crosby. Entire workshops, early garages, bicycles, and even the original Spyker machine tools are part of the display. The museum closes not with a gift shop but with a reconstructed early 20th-century town square, complete with storefronts and a café tied to the Louwman family’s original Dodge distributorship.
Jaguar D-Type (Le Mans Winner 1957)
- Purchase Price (1999): ~$2.7M
- Current Value (2025): ~$22M (based on Hagerty data, with a highest sale recorded at $21,780,000)
- Profit (1999–2025): ~$19.3M
- CAGR (1999–2025): ≈ 8.6% annually
- Future Value (2035 Est. Base @8% CAGR): ~$47.5M
- Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$25.5M
- Future Value (2035 Est. Bull @10% CAGR): ~$57.1M
- Bull Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$35.1M
Total Collection
- Current Value: estimated ~$300M
- Average Car Value: ~$1.1M
- Total Profit (1999–2025): ~$200M+
- Total Profit (2025–2035 Est. @5% CAGR): ~$189M
- Bull Profit (7% CAGR): ~$295M
6. Bernard Arnault
Among the world’s top five richest individuals, Bernard Arnault is the mastermind behind LVMH, the global luxury empire. Known for shaping modern luxury through brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Hennessy, Arnault’s taste for refinement naturally extends to his car collection. From gold-plated Bugattis to ultra-rare Mercedes-Benz racers, he doesn’t just wear luxury—he drives it.
Arnault’s collection is a true reflection of his appreciation for luxury, featuring high-performance cars and rare models that reflect both his personal taste and his status. His collection includes cars like the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss Edition, and Bugatti Sang Noir, each a testament to his pursuit of automotive excellence. There is no public information confirming the exact number of cars, but rumors suggest he owns around 10 vehicles. Based on estimates, their combined value is approximately ~$60M.
Key Car from the Collection:
- Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse
- Purchase Price (2015): ~$1.9M
- Current Value (2025): ~$2.6M
- Profit (2015–2025): ~$0.7M
- CAGR (2015–2025): ≈ 3.2% annually
- Future Value (2035 Est. Base @3.2% CAGR): ~$3.6M
- Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$1M
- Future Value (2035 Est. Bull @5% CAGR): ~$4.2M
- Bull Profit (2025–2035 Est.): ~$1.6M
- Total Collection
- Current Value: ~$60M
- Average Car Value: ~$5M
- Total Profit (2015–2025): ~$8M+
- Total Profit (2025–2035 Est. @3.2% CAGR): ~$22M
- Bull Profit (5% CAGR): ~$38M
Style. Capital. And the undeniable truth: “While market volatility may affect your assets, rare vintage cars like the Ferrari 250 GTO consistently grow in value.”
No one can predict how your investment portfolio will perform in the next decade, but the one thing that remains certain is that the Ferrari 250 GTO will continue to appreciate.
What sets it apart from traditional investments is that you can experience the returns firsthand—driving a piece of history. A unique blend of tangible enjoyment and exceptional financial growth.
