Inside Virgin billionaire Richard Branson’s jaw-dropping car collection including £200k Rolls-Royce & rare Range Rover
THE Virgin business tycoon has built up a sizeable fortune over the years and has an impressive car collection to go with it.
Sir Richard Branson has a net worth of £4.2billion, according to The Sunday Times Rich List, allowing him to acquire luxury properties, private jets and yachts.
The mogul is also well-known for his thrill-seeking adventures and has an impressive fleet of cars to meet his needs.
While the exact number of cars Branson owns isn’t in the public domain, there are some notable vehicles in his possession.
Humber Super Snipe
While British car brands such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Jaguar are all household names, the Humber is nowadays largely forgotten about.
In its day though it was a highly popular brand with royals and prime ministers in the mid-1900s.
The cars, now, are incredibly rare as only around 1 per cent of Humber vehicles have survived since the manufacturer went out of business.
Branson is known to have a Humber Super Snipe, a four-door saloon which was exemplary example of a classic British luxury car for its day.
Humbers are also owned by Jools Holland and Chris Evans.
1968 Morris Minor
Another British classic of its day is the Morris Minor, a compact car made by Morris Motors Ltd from 1948 to 1971.
It was produced in a number of body styles and was hugely popular in its day, thanks to its distinctive design, reliability and practicality.
Nowadays, it is widely seen as an iconic British car.
Branson revealed in an interview that he owns a vintage 1968 model of the Morris Minor.
It’s hardly a high-performance vehicle compared to others in his collection as its four-cylinder engine produces just about 30hp.
Fisker Karma
In the early days of electric vehicles, Fisker Automotive was considered to be a rival to Tesla.
But while Tesla went on to become one of the world’s most successful companies to produce electric cars, Fisker struggled with financial and production issues.
It eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
Despite those problems, the Fisker Karma is seen as a groundbreaking vehicle – and Branson is a proud owner of one.
The Fisker Karma boasted a sleek and stylish design and a luxurious interior which boasted a number of high-end features.
Gibbs Aquada
It’s perhaps no surprise the bearded thrill-seeker owns a high-speed amphibious vehicle.
The British company Gibbs Sports Amphibians specialises in developing and manufacturing amphibious vehicles.
The Aquada was launched in 2003 as a high-performance sports car that can also drive on water.
Branson was one of the first to buy one and it has been used in many of his publicity stunts as well as personal adventures.
Land Rover Defender Astronaut Edition
Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Land Rover announced a partnership in 2014 to develop a range of high-performance, luxury vehicles for use on land and in space.
The partnership was designed to explore the potential for creating vehicles that could be used in extreme environments, both on Earth and space.
Land Rover provides their flagship Space Edition cars for Branson’s future projects with Virgin Galactic.
One of those vehicles is the Land Rover Defender 110 Astronaut Edition which are used to tow the spacecraft once it has landed.
Range Rover Astronaut Edition
Another Land Rover Special Edition available to Branson is the Range Rover Astronaut edition due to the partnership.
The SUV launched in 2019 and is exclusive to Virgin Galactic space flight customers.
The Astronaut Edition is produced by Land Rover’s bespoke division, Land Rover Special Vehicle Operation.
The vehicle is based on the Autobiography trim but comes with some unique visual tweaks both inside and out.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Thanks to its sleek design, advanced technology and luxurious interior, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a popular choice for business executives, politicians and wealthy high-flyers.
It’s no slouch on the road either, boasting a powerful twin-turbocharged V8 engine.
The full-size sedan is one of the market’s most advanced and sophisticated vehicles.
It’s a popular choice for business tycoons like Branson because its long wheelbase allows them to work or hold meetings while being driven around in luxury.
Rolls-Royce Ghost
The Rolls-Royce Ghost is likely to be Branson’s most luxurious car in his collection.
It made its debut in 2009 and features the manufacturer’s classic and timeless design, along with some advanced technology as well as an impressive V12 engine.
With a price tag starting at around £233,000 for one, it’s beyond the reach of most people but easily affordable if you have Branson’s wealth.
The Ghost might be seen as an entry-level model compared to other cars in the Rolls-Royce fleet but it still cuts an impressive figure.
McLaren F1
The car that no doubt best represents Branson’s love of an adrenaline rush and a willingness to take risks in search of a thrill is the McLaren F1.
McLaren launched the F1 in 1992 and many now regard it as one of the greatest supercars ever.
Thanks to its innovative design, advanced technology and a powerful engine it is capable of reaching extremely high speeds and helped set the standard for high-performance vehicles in the 1990s.