English golfer Ian Poulter has won more than 15 professional tournaments in his time on the European and PGA tours. He is also a keen car collector but how many does he own?
Ian Poulter owns several Ferraris, having started his collection with a Ferrari 360. He is also an ambassador for Mercedes, using their cars for his daily drives. There are a number of other supercars in his collection, such as a Ford GT and Porsche 911 GT2.
For more on Ian Poulter and his stunning car collection, read on.
Ian Poulter
Born on January 10, 1976, in England, Ian “The Postman” Poulter has enjoyed a long and successful career on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He has competed in more than 350 professional tournaments and earned in excess of $28 million over the course of his career.
Known for his eccentric sense of style, Poulter is also a fan of other sports, most notably soccer. He once wore an Arsenal shirt during a tournament, drawing outrage from many golf traditionalists and leading to an official ruling that they could no longer be worn during events.
Another of Poulter’s passions is for automobiles; he loves motor racing and has a full Formula 1 racing simulator at his Florida mansion. As can be seen from his extensive car collection, his preference is for Ferrari’s F1 team.
In 2020, during the coronavirus lockdown, a series of virtual F1 races were held, featuring actual Formula 1 drivers, sportsmen, and other celebrities, each racing from the comfort of their home. Poulter was keen for the chance to compete and raced in the F1 Virtual Spanish Grand Prix.
Unfortunately for Poulter, his passion for racing was not matched by his performance on the digital track. After qualifying in 19th position, second to last, he finished in 18th after professional F1 driver Lando Norris failed to complete the race.
During the virtual race, Poulter drove in a Renault, despite his obvious preference for Ferraris. However, as actual Ferrari team driver Charles Leclerc was also in the race, it’s probably fair that Poulter deferred to the elite racer.
Car Collection
Ian Poulter’s car collection was not always as impressive as it is today. Growing up in Luton, England, he recalls his brother being given an old Austin Princess by his father, and a Volkswagen Scirocco which continued to be used long past its expiry date.
Despite not earning a great deal of money from his job in IT, Poulter’s father shared his son’s passion for cars. He owned a Ford Escort RS 2000 and a Sierra Cosworth, during Ford’s glory years in the rallying scene.
The Sierra Cosworth was later stolen and found, ironically, on the Knebworth golf course, having been badly damaged and with a flag planted through its sunroof. Poulter’s father also owned a Porsche 911.
As a young Ferrari fan, Poulter decided that, when he won his first tournament, he would buy a car by the iconic Italian manufacturer. His first win came on the European Tour when he appropriately won the Italian Open, but the winnings weren’t enough for Poulter to afford the Ferrari of his dreams.
After winning another tournament and then winning the Italian Open again, Poulter decided he was ready to make his move. His first Ferrari was a 360, the flagship model of the early 2000s, and Poulter has said that his passion for the Italian supercars only grew as a result.
In the years since, Poulter has bought a Ferrari F40, 550 Barchetta, a Testarossa, and a 255 GTB. He has stated that he isn’t alone in his passion for automobiles and that “golfers love their cars”.
For example, Rory McIlroy has owned a LaFerrari hypercar but Poulter says he is one of the few golfers to collect classic cars. In recent years, the value of classic cars has only continued to rise, making them a wise investment in addition to being beautiful in their own right.
Today, Poulter houses his Ferrari collection in a garage at his Florida mansion. The Ferrari theme is present in not only his cars but the garage as a whole, with numerous pieces of memorabilia adorning its walls.
Despite having a stunning Ferrari collection, Poulter has also been a Mercedes ambassador and drives an AMG GT S and G63 as his daily vehicles. He has also owned a Ford GT and Porsche 911 GT2, echoing his father’s car during Poulter’s childhood.