--- title: "The 5 Wildest Cars in the Sultan of Brunei’s Enormous Collection" date: "2024-11-28" modified: "2024-11-28" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-5-wildest-cars-in-the-sultan-of-bruneis-enormous-collection" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "News" tags: - "Aston Martin" - "bentley" - "classic car" - "Ferrari" - "luxury" - "Mercedes-Benz" --- # The 5 Wildest Cars in the Sultan of Brunei’s Enormous Collection ![Bentley Monte Carlo]() *\Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001\* Leaked pictures taken around 2001 recently revealed [the treasure trove of cars]() stashed in the Sultan of Brunei's collection. The vast assortment of supercars is impressive, but the one-off and few-off models (including many built specifically for the collection) are even more fascinating. Ferrari has never launched a regular-production sedan, but there are *several* 456 GT-based four-doors in the collection. And while Bentley didn't enter the SUV segment until it released the [Bentayga]() in 2016, the Sultan of Brunei had the brand build him an SUV called Dominator in the 1990s. Here are some of the wildest cars in the Sultan of Brunei's gigantic collection. ## Aston Martin AM3 ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* What the hell is going on here? I don't know, but I'm intrigued. It's almost like if an [Aston Martin]() DB7 and a SEAT 1200 Sport "Bocanegra" had a kid. Commissioned by the Sultan of Brunei, the AM3 was [reportedly]() designed by Pininfarina and built by Turin-based Carrozzeria Coggiola. It's difficult to identify it as an Aston Martin if you don't know what you're looking at, because it eschews the brand's familiar grille in favor of a black composite panel that incorporates the headlights and an air intake. I wonder what effect the nose treatment has on the coupe's drag coefficient. ## Bentley Dominator ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* [Bentley]() could have beaten all of its rivals to the lucrative luxury SUV segment had it released this Dominator from 1996 as a regular-production model. Details about this off-roader are relatively murky; the project was top-secret in the '90s, but [most sources agree]() that it was developed specifically for the Sultan of Brunei and based on a P38-generation Range Rover. Six units were reportedly built for the collection and they're nearly identical aside from paint color. It's not the most elegant-looking SUV from this era but the design mostly works—it's pretty much what you would expect a '90s Bentley SUV to look like. And, with robust Range Rover underpinnings, it's likely relatively capable off the beaten path. ## Bentley Monte Carlo ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![Bentley Monte Carlo]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![Bentley Monte Carlo]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* You don't think the Sultan of Brunei would settle for [a Chevrolet Monte Carlo](), do you? No way—his comes from Bentley. Like the Dominator, this big, Baroque-esque two-door from 1995 was developed specifically for the collection. It's characterized by retro styling cues such as round headlights and bright bumper-like trim pieces on both ends. The look is a major departure from Bentley's design language through the decade, which spawned some of the boxiest cars in the company's history, and I'm admittedly getting some [Mitsuoka vibes]() from it—no offense, Sultan. The swoopy sheet model reportedly hides Continental R underpinnings, and Bentley allegedly built six units (including at least two convertibles) for the Brunei collection. ## Ferrari 456 GT Sedan and Wagon ![Ferrari 456 GT sedan]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![Ferrari 456 GT sedan]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![Ferrari 456 GT wagon]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* Rewind to May 2010, when [Ferrari's]() then-CEO, Amedeo Felisa, told British magazine *[Autocar]()* that the company would never release a four-door car. "As Enzo \[Ferrari\] would say, we will never do four doors," he stressed. While the former executive likely couldn't predict [the Purosangue](), he should have added an asterisk to his claim. Something like, "We will never do four doors unless you pay us a metric shit-ton of money." Which is presumably exactly what the Sultan of Brunei wired to Maranello after commissioning [at least eight examples]() of a 456 GT-based sedan. The model was reportedly developed and built by Pininfarina with Ferrari's blessing, and I'm in love with it. It's stylish, well-proportioned, and I bet it's as exciting to drive as the coupe it's based on despite the added weight and longer wheelbase. I'll take the 456 GT-based wagon, though. ## Mercedes-Benz 600SEL AMG Wagon ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* ![]() *Courtesy @brunei\_cars\_2001* I can't help but wonder what [Mercedes-Benz]() would have called this car had it decided to sell it to the public. T means "wagon" in Benz-speak, so S73T? Or maybe ST73? Regardless, we're looking at [a W140-generation S-Class]() that was [turned into a wagon]() and fitted with a 7.3-liter V12 by AMG. It's faster than a stock 600SEL and a lot more spacious—what more could you ask for? There's no chrome on the car, most of the exterior trim pieces are finished in the same shade of red as the body, and the engine was built specifically for the Royal Family of Brunei. You're in luck if you don't like red, as the Sultan ordered several of these, including one finished in yellow and another painted a more subtle shade of green. These are my picks. What are yours? *Got tips? Send ’em to [tips@thedrive.com]()* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()