The auction house RM Sotheby's will soon be holding sales of a highly unique copy of the Ferrari 250 GTO racecar, for which it hopes to fetch at least U.S. $45,000,000. The dizzying price is actually justified by the vehicle’s status as one of the world’s most sought-after collector pieces.
The sports car was built in 1962 to participate in the Sicilian race Targa Florio. It was piloted by Phil Hill, America’s first Formula One champion, and brought him another gold medal. The car then entered many other prestigious races.
The chassis of this particular Ferrari 250 GTO carries the mark “3413 GT”, which means it was the third to roll off the assembly lines. Throughout the 21st century, it has only been on sale three times so far.
Greg Whitten – the current owner of this Ferrari 250 GTO – has managed to keep the original rear axle and the drivetrain, including the engine, in good condition. However, the vehicle no longer has its original body. The coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti designed a special Series II body for it as far back as 1964.
$45 million may seem like a lot of money to pay, but it is just a preliminary estimation of the car’s real price. It might as well fetch more than the starting amount. For instance, another Ferrari 250 GTO issued in 1963 went under the hammer mere two weeks ago at $70,000,000.
Photo: autoclassics.com