At age 72, he is selling his entire collection of 60 cars—including Ferraris, Maseratis, and more—valued at 25 million euros: «Each one tells a unique story.»

It took Thierry Dehaeck more than forty years to build his collection. He spent a lifetime searching not simply for beautiful cars, but for examples that stood out from the crowd because of their rarity, condition, or history. At age 72, however, the Belgian collector has decided to turn the page: on February 5, 2027, his 60 automobiles will be auctioned in Paris by Artcurial Motorcars.

Titled «In Praise of Excellence,» the auction is estimated to fetch between 15 and 25 million euros. And for fans of Italian cars, just a few names are enough to convey the significance of this event: the Ferrari 275 GTB, 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Daytona Spider, Maserati Ghibli, and even an extremely rare Quattroporte II.

A passion that began long before Ferraris

Thierry Dehaeck’s history with cars dates back to his teenage years. Born in Ypres, Belgium, he developed this passion alongside his father, particularly around a Chevrolet Impala. At age 19, he bought his first classic car, a 1965 Cadillac Sedan. In 1982, his honeymoon in the United States even turned into an opportunity to bring back two Cadillacs. Meanwhile, the entrepreneur was involved in the family business, Pidy, a specialist in «ready-to-fill» pastries. Over the decades, his garage grew to far more impressive proportions. His philosophy, however, remained the same: to seek out exceptional cars and document their history. Artcurial describes these as historical dossiers compiled with «almost museum-like» rigor, combining archives, correspondence, ownership histories, photographs, technical documents, and expert appraisals.

Five Ferraris and some very rare Maseratis

The Italian heart of this collection alone is worth the trip. Thierry Dehaeck has brought together five Ferraris spanning several generations. Among them is a superb 1965 275 GTB «short nose,» as well as a 1962 250 GTE, a 1970 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a 1972 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider, and a 1993 512 TR. The Daytona Spider is particularly interesting: Artcurial notes that it is one of only six examples delivered in this configuration.

Maserati isn't to be outdone. The collection includes, among others, a 3500 GT Spyder, a Ghibli Spyder, a Ghibli coupe, and two stunning Quattroportes. The Quattroporte II announced by Artcurial is a true rarity, having been exhibited at several international auto shows.

But limiting this collection to Italian cars would be nearly impossible. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster, the Jaguar E-Type, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Shelby GT500 KR, and—above all—an impressive lineup of Citroën SMs round out the collection. It even includes «The Rig,» the rig featuring the record-breaking SM that exceeded 320 km/h at Bonneville.

«Each one tells a unique story»

Above all, these cars have not spent their lives under covers. Maintained by an in-house workshop, they have competed in rallies and concours d’élégance, from Chantilly to Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este. «Each car was chosen as the benchmark for its model. Each one tells a unique story,» summarizes Matthieu Lamoure, president of Artcurial Motorcars.

So why sell everything? Thierry Dehaeck now wants to travel and pass his cars on to other enthusiasts so that they can continue «to live, to drive, and to inspire dreams.».

On February 5, 2027, it will not simply be 60 cars that will gradually change hands. A collection painstakingly built up over more than four decades will cease to exist as a single collection. And some of its Ferraris and Maseratis could well become the stars of this auction, estimated to fetch up to 25 million euros.