Inside the World’s Greatest Classic Car Collections – Part 19: Nick Mason

Nick Mason has always had a very simple relationship with his racing cars: they are meant to be used. Even when they happen to be a Ferrari 250 GTO, a Jaguar D-Type, a Maserati 250F, a Ferrari 512 S, or a Maserati Birdcage. Cars that many would preserve as works of art, he continues to regard for what they were born to be: machines to be started, brought up to temperature, and driven on track. The success of Pink Floyd, where he was the drummer, gave him the means to build one of the most important collections in the world, but the passion was already there. Between 1979 and 1984, Mason competed seriously, starting at Le Mans five times and taking a second and a third place in class. Today the collection is cared for by his daughters Holly and Chloe, both enthusiasts and frequent competitors in historic racing. Among the many cars in the collection, some speak more clearly than others to his way of thinking about collecting: here are five of the most important. Let us look at them in detail.

The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, chassis 3757GT, is the symbol of the collection. Its story is a remarkable one: Mason first saw a GTO at Goodwood in 1964, when he was still a young man, and was captivated by it. Fourteen years later, at the height of his band’s success, he bought one. It had raced for Écurie Francorchamps, finishing third overall and second in class at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mason has owned it since 1978 and used it in historic competition until 2014. He still drives it today, though it is a jewel to be kept with appropriate care.