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FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem told The Drive that he owns 160 American V8-powered cars and enjoys his personally modified restomods most. He contrasted the size and road presence of American cars with European cars, which he likened to “Matchboxes”; the remark came in an interview at the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem told The Drive that he owns 160 American V8-powered cars and prefers working on his own restomods to simply buying finished vehicles. In an interview at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, he praised the size and road presence of American cars and joked that European cars are “like Matchboxes.”
Ben Sulayem said his affection for American V8s is rooted in where he grew up, the United Arab Emirates, where he recalled open roads and relatively low fuel costs. He said those conditions made large American cars a natural fit, and described their engines’ sound and the sensation of driving them as part of their appeal. His comparison with European cars was a personal, informal remark, not a technical assessment of either market’s vehicles.
Asked how many American V8 cars he owns, Ben Sulayem answered “160.” He named a Cadillac as the one he would keep if forced to choose, while also citing his fondness for Chrysler Imperial and Lincoln models. He said the cars he drives most are American vehicles he has modified himself, rather than necessarily the most expensive or exotic cars in his collection.
Ben Sulayem told The Drive that his restomod projects involve hands-on decisions about handling, suspension, brakes, steering and engine placement. He described the satisfaction as coming from the process of improving a car, including making large, powerful vehicles turn and stop better. The Drive also listed high-end and historic models in his collection, but reported that he did not provide a complete inventory or an exact overall car count.
A Personal View of American Cars
The interview offers a rare glimpse of the car interests of the head of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body for Formula 1 and other international motorsport. Ben Sulayem’s ownership claim and preferences may draw attention because they come from a senior figure in racing, but the comments are personal rather than an FIA policy statement.
His enthusiasm also overlaps with a current motorsport debate: The Drive noted his efforts to bring back simpler, V8-powered Formula 1 cars. That does not mean his private collection determines the sport’s rules, or that the FIA has announced a change in engine regulations. The interview instead illustrates his stated interest in V8 power and in the mechanical character of cars.
For readers, the standout detail is not just the reported collection size, but the distinction Ben Sulayem makes between owning a car and building or improving one. He said he values the work of adapting older American models with modern components, particularly where that improves their handling and braking.
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The Collection Beyond V8s
The Drive described Ben Sulayem’s collection as spanning American projects, historic cars and modern performance vehicles. Its examples included a Mercedes-AMG One, Ferrari Daytona SP3, Bugatti Bolide, Koenigsegg Agera RS and Lexus LFA, alongside older models such as the Jaguar XJ220, Mercedes 300SL and Ferrari F40. The article also mentioned a one-off Studebaker pickup fitted with a BMW F80 M3 engine, referencing a Shmee150 YouTube video.
That list is not a verified, complete inventory. The Drive said Ben Sulayem did not give the total number of cars in his full collection or its value. It noted that online estimates reaching about $100 million are unofficial, so they should not be treated as a confirmed valuation.
The Austin conversation was framed around his collecting and modification habits, not a formal FIA announcement. The Drive reported that Ben Sulayem has also been advocating for a return to simpler, V8-powered F1 cars, but the interview does not set out a confirmed timetable or approved technical change.
““I love American V8s.””
— Mohammed Ben Sulayem, speaking to The Drive
What the Collection Figures Leave Open
The figure of 160 American V8 cars is Ben Sulayem’s answer to The Drive’s question; the report does not independently inventory or verify each vehicle. His full collection size and its value remain undisclosed, and the article characterized publicly circulated valuation estimates as unofficial.
It is also unclear which vehicles make up the 160-car figure, how many are currently driveable, or how many are modified. The interview provides examples of his projects and preferences, but not a complete list. His “Matchboxes” line should be read as an opinion about the contrast in vehicle size, not as a measured comparison.
Although The Drive connected his enthusiasm for V8s with calls for simpler F1 cars, the interview does not establish whether or when Formula 1 might adopt different engine rules. No specific regulatory decision or implementation schedule was included in the reported comments.
No FIA Rule Change Announced
The immediate development is the publication of Ben Sulayem’s remarks in The Drive’s interview; the source material gives no announced next step for his personal car projects or for an FIA decision on Formula 1 engines. Any future change to F1 regulations would require formal action and details from the governing body, rather than being inferred from his collecting preferences.
Ben Sulayem said the work on his restomods is ongoing, with handling and other mechanical improvements giving him reasons to continue refining cars. The Drive suggested he might have time to drive them after the 2026 F1 season, but that was the publication’s speculation, not a confirmed plan from the FIA president.
Key Questions
How many American V8 cars does Mohammed Ben Sulayem say he owns?
He told The Drive that he owns 160 American V8-powered cars. The article did not publish an independent inventory confirming the number.
What did Ben Sulayem mean by calling European cars “like Matchboxes”?
He was making a personal comparison about the size and presence of cars, contrasting them with the larger American vehicles he enjoys. The remark was not presented as a technical finding.
Which car would he keep if he could choose only one?
Ben Sulayem said he would keep a Cadillac. He also mentioned liking Chrysler Imperial and Lincoln models.
Does this mean Formula 1 is returning to V8 engines?
No. The Drive reported that Ben Sulayem has been trying to bring back simpler, V8-powered F1 cars, but his interview did not announce an approved rule change or a timetable.
Is the reported value of his car collection confirmed?
No. The Drive said online estimates, including figures around $100 million, are unofficial. Ben Sulayem did not disclose the collection’s total value.
Source: thedrive.com
