F1 Champion David Coulthard Was Not Happy With His Aston Martin Valkyrie

David Marshall Coulthard was born with racing DNA but he didn’t limit himself to Go-Karts like his father. He started his career with Formula Three at the age of 17 and then moved on to step in the shoes of the legend Ayrton Senna. He has raced for Williams, McLaren, and Mercedes, and even at the age of 53, he cannot stay away from tracks. 

7. 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL Pagoda

David Coulthard bought himself a beautiful 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL. He was just 23 years old when he was smitten by the Mercedes-Benz Pagoda and he got it in a handsome Metallic Blue paint. He stated in an interview that he got the 280 SL in 1995 but went for the 1971 model year as this made the car of the same age as him. 

David plans to hand over the Mercedes Roadster to his son Dayton, 15 and he he sincerely hopes that he won’t swap it for the Renault 5. The Pagoda is somewhat of a consolation prize for David. His dream car is the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing coupé and he regrets not buying it in the 90s when the price was low. He plans to buy one someday but until then, he is content with the 280 SL. 

6. 1991 Ford Escort RS2000

David got his first car on his 11th birthday but that was a Go-Kart gifted by his father. He got his first road-going car as another gift and he got it when he was barely 20. He had just begun his career with Formula Three and he was asked to talk about the beautiful Escort on a press launch from a young man’s perspective. 

Coulthard, now a seasoned commentator for F1, found the event to be quite stressful as the journalists were looking at young David with a level of disapproval. However, his time with the Ford RS2000 has been way less stressful and he has enjoyed every single time he took it out for a spin. 

5. 1989 Renault 5 Turbo

The first full-time car that David got for himself was the Renault 5 Turbo. He had just won the P&O Ferries Formula Ford 1600 Junior championship along with another championship just at the age of 18 and he wanted to celebrate. Teenager David was head over heels for the 1989 Renault because of its style and comfort. 

He drove the sporty hatchback on every opportunity he got and he would often have the seats recline all the way and get some shut-eye on them. Coulthard who has raced F1 cars and driven hypercars for fun is still a fan of this Renault and his son who is also a racer has his eyes on this one. 

4. 2018 Smart Convertible

It might look a bit uncharacteristic for a former F1 champion to own an open-top electric hatchback but David Coulthard does own a Smart Convertible. “Every ex-GP driver in touch with their racing spirit should have one of those” - he was quoted and who are we to argue? 

However, if you are impressed with the Roadster, we are sorry to disappoint you because you can no longer buy a new Smart Convertible. David made the “smart” choice by not letting it slide and he is a fan of the quirky design and pleasant handling. He got the convertible in 2018 and still takes it out every now and then. 

3. 1984 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 280 GE Short Wheelbase

David Coulthard keeps his cherished 1984 Mercedes-Benz G-Class 280 GE Short Wheelbase Wagon and he keeps it in his Monaco residence. David calls the G-Class a "proper five-seat restaurant car for the South of France" and there is no disagreement there. The second Merc from his garage is the only off-roader in his arsenal. 

David bought the G-Class 280 SW somewhere around the late 2000s and it originally had a white exterior. However, he later painted it in a gunmetal silver color. Unlike his other cars, we have rarely seen him taking the Mercedes wagon out for a spin.

2. 2005 Aston Martin DB9

David married Karen Minier who is a Belgian Formula One correspondent for French TV. the duo leads a successful marriage and to show his affection towards his wife Coulthard bought her an Aston Martin DB9. Although the model is from 2005, he bought it around the mid or late 2010s. 

David is known for his love for the British manufacturer and he has often praised the DB9 in different interviews. He is particularly a fan of the overall style and design features of the silver Aston Martin and he never forgets to highlight its performance whenever he is talking about it. 

1. 2020 Mercedes-AMG Project One

David Coulthard has a third Mercedes in his garage and this time it's a hypercar. The former F1 racer ordered the Mercedes-AMG Project One in 2019 and has already got it delivered to him. The AMG One is one of the most beautiful cars in the world and it also delivers performance like no other. 

The fact that there are only 275 units ever made and David has one of them is proof enough to call him a petrolhead. He has a rather small collection compared to most so-called car collectors but the resell value of the limited edition hypercar is higher than some celebrity’s entire garage. 

Sold: 2020 Aston Martin Valkyrie

The AMG One was not the only limited-edition hypercar that David bought. He actually ordered an Aston Martin Valkyrie during the same time as the Mercedes. The Valkyrie was wrapped in Marina Blue while the light Blue Alcantara leather was a great complement to the exterior. Unfortunately, he faced several issues with the Aston Martin. 

The $3.5 million Valkyrie had some problems with its system and it even broke down while he driving it down a street in Monaco. After getting a bit frustrated with the Aston Martin he finally decided to sell the 86/150 Valkyrie in 2023. The hypercar was on display at an event in Saudi until it was sold through the Joe Macari dealership.