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Prince Rainier of Monaco - a legendary car collector

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Recently updated on September 11, 2023 at 01:04 am

Prince Rainier of Monaco - a legendary car collector
© visitmonaco.com
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The Principality of Monaco is best known for its Formula 1 track and its renowned casino. The regent Prince Rainier III, who was in charge of state affairs until his death in 2005, is also known for his extraordinary way of life. But not because he lived particularly dissolute or was involved in numerous scandals. The head of state had a solid lifestyle and was statesmanlike throughout his life. Nonetheless, his marriage to American actress Grace Kelly gave him a special interest from the tabloids. Among car enthusiasts, it was his impressive collection of vehicles that made him a legend.

A modern principality

Prince Rainier of Monaco - a legendary car collector

In contrast to most other remaining monarchies in Europe, the Prince of Monaco today takes on more than just a representative role. He unites the executive and judiciary in his person, but his legislative proposals must be approved by parliament. Casinos have long been an important part of Monaco's economy. The Monte Carlo Casino has been attracting high society from all over Europe to the city state since the 19th century. However, Prince Rainier realized that the country's economy was too dependent on this one source of income and therefore initiated extensive reforms. From today's perspective, Monaco owes a lot to the foresight of its ruler. Because in times when online casinos like comeon.com are competing with traditional locations for customers, additional pillars are essential. Prince Rainer achieved this by making Monaco a tax haven. Anyone who moves here does not have to pay income or inheritance tax and can therefore avoid the tax burden in their country of origin. This is of course annoying for everyone who can't afford to move to Monaco.

From vintage to modern

Prince Rainier of Monaco - a legendary car collector
De Dion Bouton

For almost half a century, Prince Rainier was a passionate collector of all kinds of cars. Accordingly, there are a wide variety of pieces in his collection. A rare De Dion Bouton from 1903 can be found there as well as numerous modern Formula 1 cars. In between there are sports cars from all eras, as well as army jeeps and rally vehicles, but also exotic vehicles such as the BMW Isetta. Hardly any car collection covers such a wide range as that of the late Prince. How much Prince Rainier invested in his collection is not known. But since they are all coveted collector's items, almost unbelievable sums of money should have gone into the construction.

From the palace to the museum

Even a prince is faced with space problems in his garage at some point. Whether it was the fiftieth or the seventieth car that the humble rooms of his Highness overflowing: In 1993 the prince decided to build a museum instead and to make his treasures accessible to the public. Even today, numerous car fans come here every year to admire one of the most beautiful collections of vehicles in the world. Prince Rainier's successor, Prince Albert II, also continues to maintain the collection. Since Rainier's death, for example, the Lexus, which was used for the royal wedding in 2011, and newer Formula 1 cars have been added to the collection. However, some pieces from the original collection had to give way. Nevertheless, the museum is definitely worth a visit.

Prince Rainier of Monaco - a legendary car collector
© visitmonaco.com

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Prince Rainier of Monaco - a legendary car collector

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

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