So far we have analysed the most important parts of the collection. There are still some cars in the collection that are not available en masse, but they are all worth discussing.
One such car is the Jaguar XJ220, a two-seater sports car built by British luxury car manufacturer Jaguar between 1992 and 1994 in collaboration with car and racing engineering firm Tom Walkinshaw Racing. The XJ220 has a top speed of 212.3 mph (341.7 km/h), based on tests conducted by Jaguar at the Nardo test track in Nardo, Italy. It was the fastest production car between 1992 and 1993.
Jaguar engine designer Walter Hassan had previously developed a 48-valve version of the V12 engine specifically for motorsport use. This engine featured a twin overhead camshaft arrangement with four valves per cylinder, as opposed to the production engine’s single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder arrangement used in the XJ and XJS models at the time.
In 1991, Jaguar conducted high-speed testing of the pre-production XJ220, chassis number 004, at Fort Stockton, Texas, and recorded a top speed of 341.7 km/h (212.3 mph), faster than any production car at the time. The Sultan used the Pinninfarina modified version for a while.
Also worth a look is the BMW Nazca c2. BMW Nazca M12 Concept, A concept sports car designed and built by Italdesign, similar to the C2. The Nazca project began in 1991 when the Nazca M12 was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. The design was derived from the Bugatti ID 90 concept presented the year before. The M12 was the first car to be designed by Giugiaro’s son Fabrizio, and took design cues from the Group C racing cars. The car achieved a drag coefficient C of d=0.26 in a test in BMW’s wind tunnel.

In truth, it is difficult to estimate the total size of the collection. One authoritative source on the subject is a Californian car dealer named Michael Sheehan. He may have seen the entire collection in the early 2000s, as rumour has it that the ruler was in a tight spot at the time and would have passed on some models for a good price. He stored his magnificent collection in the middle of a veritable jungle, in hangar-like buildings.
Sheehan was astonished to find that the buildings were not refrigerated, with a huge amount of condensation. So many top models were literally left to rot. He experienced mouldy dashboards and soaking wet car interiors. It was totally unprofessional to store such a large value.
Besides, there is a divisive social perception of the Sultan and his family’s spending. Around the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, many people live in houses built on stilts on the eponymous Brunei River, behind which in some places are real slum-like hovels, worth less than the ruler’s applause on an optical tunnel.
The island’s Muslim inhabitants are banned from celebrating Christmas, with up to 5 years in jail for anyone who sends Christmas greetings or wears, say, a Santa hat. It’s an incomprehensible contradiction that he chooses the breathtaking Christmas decorations in his luxury London hotels.
Despite international protests, he approved the entry into force of the Penal Code in 2019. To strengthen the Islamic religion, it introduced Sharia law. Under this law, adulterers and same-sex sexual relations can be stoned to death. The penalty for theft is the cutting off of a limb. This unprecedented crackdown was condemned even by the UN. Many are calling for a boycott of the Sultan’s hotels in Paris and California.
All that glitters is not gold.

Adam Gubán