Thierry Boutsen, the former F1 driver, has been named the new president of the Circle of Friends of the Car Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco, which offers high-end exhibitions and events linked to the association.  

The club name is definitely a mouthful, but the sentiment is pure inclusion, especially for those who share a passion for automobiles.  

The Circle of Friends of the Car Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco was born out of a desire to highlight this extraordinary assortment of cars in Monaco, which range from the vintage to the super-luxe. The club is open to all and the requests to join are trickling in at a steady pace.  

When asked how Boutsen, who is now the owner of Boutsen Aviation, a company that buys and sells private jets for business, became involved, he told the local press, “I was contacted by Salim Zeghdar first, then Christophe Villa and Jean-Pierre Campana, to see if I was interested in taking the presidency of this association. It is a very great honour that allows me to dive back into what I have experienced in the past. A truly extraordinary project. I had to have them repeat the request twice because I couldn’t believe my ears.” 

Plans for future events and exhibitions in the works

The club’s recent creation is partly due to the new home of the collection on Port Hercule. The modern space gives them the ability to hold events and exhibitions, and to be able to accommodate more people year-round.  

The association will be working in conjunction with Collections Director Valérie Closier to come up with “unique and very representative events, not specifically related to the Grand Prix, the Historic or the E-Prix, but which highlight the museum on its own”, as explained by Boutsen.  

The proof that the right man for the job was selected lies in Boutsen’s enthusiasm for the collection and his diplomatic answer when asked if he favours any cars over the others.  

His candid reply: “There are two cars from the Porsche Collection [currently on loan to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart] that I have driven in competition, the 962 and GT1, which gave me a lot of pleasure. But I put them all on an equal footing in fact because they make me dream.” 

For more information about the collection and how to see if for yourself, please click here. 

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Photo courtesy of the Palais Princier de Monaco