An ultra-rare 1954 Ferrari Tipo 625 Monoposto is once again heading for the auction block after its owner considered the $4 million best offer insufficient in 2022. It is a pure Formula 1 racecar and was once owned by Alfonso de Portago.
Another car from the same batch brought Alberto Ascari the title of a world champion in 1952 and 1953. All in all, Ferrari assembled six such racers for its own racing team and five more for private clients. All were powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four engine.
Once properly tuned in the factory, the car seen here was delivered to de Portago. The driver, who had interests in bobsleigh and horse racing prior to entering motorsports, died aged 28 in a track accident at the 1957 Mille Miglia race. He was driving a different car back then. The accident claimed the lives of his co-driver and nine spectators as well.
With de Portago’s demise, the car went on to change several owners, most of them collectors, and was exhibited at numerous shows and festivals. It also attended all kinds of races. The seller points out that it’s still in fine working condition with the stock powertrain still intact.
The auction is private this time around, meaning only interested customers may learn the price by making a direct query.