When it comes to the owners of “impressive” car collections, we often think of TV host Jay Leno, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, millionaire boxer Floyd Mayweather, or fashion designer Ralph Lauren. However, it turns out that there is also a car collection in the UK that impresses both in terms of quantity and value.
Portrait of car collector Rodger Dudding
The aforementioned car collection in the UK belongs to 79-year-old businessman Rodger Dudding. It is known that Dudding started building this car collection back in the 1960s. The first car Dudding bought was a Jensen Interceptor FF.
Dudding’s newly completed garage
Up to now, Dudding owns a collection of over 350 different cars. However, Dudding has no intention of stopping. He plans to add new members to his car collection after spending £7 million ($9.12 million) to build a new garage in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, UK.
Dudding sitting inside his late father’s 1952 Morris Minor
According to Dudding, his love for cars stems from his late father’s 1952 Morris Minor. This Morris Minor currently holds a special place in the British entrepreneur’s car collection.
A 1989 Lamborghini Countach
In addition, Dudding’s collection also includes a range of classic cars bearing the Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Jaguar brands. Not to mention pre-war convertibles and a separate motorcycle collection. Among them is the only Bentley motorcycle that few people know about.
Dudding’s collection of classic motorcycles
The oldest car in the collection is the 1911 Vulcan
This can be considered one of the most important car collections in Europe thanks to its variety. The oldest car in Dudding’s collection is the 1911 Vulcan. In addition, there are newer cars such as the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Rolls-Royce Wraith, and Range Rover.
Dudding’s modern car collection
“If someone asks which is the most valuable car in the collection, I would point to my late father’s 1952 Morris Minor. This car is completely original,” Dudding affirmed.
Aston Martin Lagonda surrounded by a Ferrari F355 and Jaguar XK120
According to Dudding, he often buys unique cars. One piece of evidence is that he bought 24 Aston Martin Lagonda cars. This is a rare line of cars from Aston Martin with a total of 645 units ever made.
One of the 24 Aston Martin Lagonda cars with a gold-plated gearstick
In the past, the Aston Martin Lagonda caused controversy due to its lack of curved exterior design. “The Aston Martin Lagonda is a car that you can either love or hate. I currently have 24 cars like that. Many people tell me that this is the largest Aston Martin Lagonda collection in the world,” Dudding said.
“If you own an Aston Martin Lagonda, people might call you crazy. If you own three or more, you might be locked up in a mental institution. I don’t know where I belong anymore,” Dudding joked.
A 1918 Hispano Suiza Type 24
In his youth, Dudding worked as an apprentice engineer for the UK Royal Navy. Later, he had to quit due to a back injury sustained while working. Using his technical knowledge, in 1970, Dudding invented paper tickets used for queuing in places like shops or supermarkets.
Initially, this system was called “Take a Ticket”. Later, the system was renamed as a queue management machine and is still used by many companies to this day.
A miniature Aston Martin equipped with a hidden engine in the garage
“Stores like Harrods and Selfridges, as well as all major supermarkets, still use our system at their checkout counters,” Dudding said.
According to the Sunday Times, Dudding currently has a net worth of £162 million ($211 million). His car collection alone is estimated to be worth £40 million ($52 million).