Ferraris make $23.5 million at auction
Posted: 20.01.2015
Source: Ferrari
Stunning 1959 250 GT California Spider sells for 7.7 million
Maranello, 20 January – Sales at the recent Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale exceeded all expectations with the 17 Ferraris on the block fetching a total of 23.5 million dollars, over 17 million of which was paid for just five extraordinary cars. The lion’s share, in fact, went to the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider, one of only 50 ever built, which went under the hammer for the first time in 1969. The car, Chassis no. 1425 GT, sold for 7.7 million dollars at Scottsdale.
Four gems. An incredibly rare 400 Superamerica Series I Coupé Aerodinamico also went for 4.07 million dollars. Built in 1962, it was one of just seven of its kind and had been meticulously restored in line with its original specifications, earning it Ferrari Classiche Division certification. The third highest sale price was achieved by a 1968 330 GTS, one of just 99 to leave Maranello, which changed hands for 2.42 million dollars. One of a production run of 350 of a milestone model in super sports car evolution, a 1963 250 GT Lusso fetched 1.9 million dollars, while a 1966 275 GTS went for 1.6 million (barely 200 were built).
The other cars. The remaining 12 Prancing Horse cars to go under the hammer in Fashion Square, Scottsdale made a total of 6 million dollars. They included, most notably, a 1967 330 GTC which sold for 907,000 dollars, a 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona, a model that won the legendary American race no less than three times, went for just under 700,000 dollars, while the 1990 641/2 Formula 1 single-seater made almost a million dollars. The latter, in fact, was the car driven by English driver Nigel Mansell in the second half of the season and in which he won the controversial Portuguese Grand Prix as well as making it to the podium in Spain and Australia. A real jewel in the Ferrari F1 crown.
Sold for 9.4 million dollars, a 1966 275 GTB
Posted: 16.01.2015
Source: Ferrari
he Ferrari that won Le Mans in 1967 is the star attraction at the Scottsdale auction
Maranello, 16 January
It was expected to attract the top bid and it didn’t disappoint: the 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, chassis number 09079, changed hands for 9.4 million dollars in an evening auction in Scottsdale. The car that won the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours in the colours of Scuderia Filipinetti was the 11th of 12 cars built.
Five other Ferraris went under the hammer at the same auction, for a total value of over two million dollars. Worthy of note, a 1969 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta, which went for 748,000 dollars. The others auctioned were a Dino 246 GT (385,000 dollars,) a 1982 512 BBi (375,000 dollars,) a 1984 512 BBi (324,500 dollars) and a 1990 Testarossa (250,800 dollars.)
The myth of the auction room
Posted: 02.01.2015
Source: Ferrari
Who will be the lucky new owner of the 1967 Le Mans winner?
Maranello, 2th January 2015 – The new year begins with a celebration of the past. On January 15th, the most eagerly-awaited car at the Bonhams sales in Scottsdale goes under the hammer. It is, of course, the 11th 275 GTB Competizione of just 12 built by Maranello in 1966. Built specifically for the great GT races of the day, it was given a lighter chassis than the traditional 275, larger double fuel tanks and a new engine factory-modified to deliver in excess of 300 hp.
Glorious competition history. Chassis no. 09079 was sold to the well-known Swiss team owner Georges Filipinetti who entered it in the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans under his own colours. The 275 GTB Competizione dominated the GT class from the very earliest stages, eventually winning in the hands of the Swiss duo Dieter Spörry and Gianwirco Steinemann. Two years later, it took another hugely prestigious victory at the Spa-Francorchamps 1,000 km which was also part of the International Championship for Makes. Once again, the car was driven by an all-Swiss team: Jacques Rey and Edgar Berney with Claude Haldi as the reserve driver. The latter duo also won the Imola 500km the same year ahead at the end of a magnificent sparring match with a couple of Porsches.
Second career. Once its racing career ended, the car changed hands several times, eventually being restored in the late 1980s. The work was carried out in line with the original construction specifications and was so meticulous it earned authenticity certification from the Ferrari Classiche division in Maranello. The 275 GTB Competizione has also taken honours at the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach in California. Its latest outing on American soil was as one of the 60 Ferraris that gathered on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills to celebrate the Prancing Horse’s 60th anniversary in North America. It is expected to fetch an eight-figure sum at Scottsdale.