Rare 1950s Ferrari that’s one of just eight ever made to sell at auction for a whopping £11.4 million
A RARE 1950s Ferrari could be yours for an eye-watering £11.4million.
This impressive open-top 250 GT California Spider supercar has been driven by huge Hollywood names from James Coburn, to Brigitte Bardot.
Famous screen writer and director Roger Vadim, as well as fashion designer Ralph Lauren have also proudly sat behind the wheel.
Lucky bidders not have the opportunity to bag the beauty as it goes under the hammer with Broad Arrow Auctions on March 8.
The 1959 Ferrari model is actually only one of eight that were ever made.
It’s suave aluminium body is complemented by blue upholstery on the interior.
The black dashboard has classic round dials, while the elegant wooden steering wheels boasts timeless class.
This rare Ferrari also offers a 3-litre Tipo 128 F Colombo V-12 engine.
It even raced in the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T).
The motor hit the track just five days after being manufactured, and ranked third in class but fifth overall.
To make the feat more impressive, the car was manned by Robert ‘Bob’ Grossman – who had never competed in Le Mans before.
Mr Grossman, a New York car dealer, owned the stunning silver Ferrari at the time.
Barney Ruprecht, Broad Arrow’s senior specialist and vice president of Auctions, said: “This is without doubt the crown jewel of all open Ferraris and, perhaps, the most desirable road-going convertible in the world today.
“It is the definitive example of Ferrari’s legendary dual-purpose sports car.
“What makes this car so revered is that it was equally capable of securing a podium finish at Le Mans, as well as taking best-in-show awards on the world’s most exclusive Concours fields.
“It shows that the car is definitely for sale and that we are not out to test the market, get a bid, and negotiate at the moment.
“That said, we do expect this truly exceptional Ferrari to exceed our estimate.”
The classic will go up for auction at the Amelia Island sale in Florida on March 8.
Iconic Ferrari from the 60s that won infamous 24-hour race
By Jacob Jaffa
A FAMOUS 1960’s Ferrari that won a gruelling 24-hour race has hit auction for the eye-watering sum of £21 million.
The classic crimson supercar is one of just 32 ever made and has by far the most racing pedigree.
The 1964 Ferrari 250 LM is set to sell as part of a collaboration between luxury auctioneer RM Sothebys and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
THe LM in its name stands for Le Mans, the site of the infamous 24-hour endurance race of the same name.
This particular example became the first privateer-entered Ferrari to win the race when it topped the 1965 edition’s leaderboard.
Piloted by Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt on behalf of the North American Racing Team, it sealed a record sixth consecutive victory at the event for Ferrari cars.
It also made a milestone three appearances at the 24 Hours of Daytona in Florida.
This made it the only Ferrari built during Enzo Ferrari’s lifetime to enter six 24-hour races.
Following its racing career, it was sold to the museum in 1970, where it has remained ever since.
The car has undergone painstaking maintenance work over the past five decades and has been exhibited at several high-end concourse shows.
Indeed, it claimed the prize for the Best in Show at the 1994 Monterey Historics event.
The car will be offered for sale at Sothebys’ Paris auction, starting on February 4.
The auction house is welcoming bids in excess of £21 million (€25 million).
This comes as another ultra rare iconic car with a high speed of 250mph and a hydraulic spoiler has hit the market for £840,000.
The limited edition Nissan GT-R50 boasts a super-sleek sports car finish in Liquid Silver and black.
The flash exterior has accents of Nismo Red, which continues into the interior.
The incredible motor is powered by a 3.8-litre V-6 engine which produces 710 horsepower and 575 ft lbs of torque.
Elsewhere, an incredible 1950s BMW, dubbed one of Elvis Presley’s favourites, is set to go under the hammer for a whopping £1.65million.
The glamourous 507 Roadster is going up for auction at a watering price – could you be the lucky bidder.
It has famously been owned by Elvis Presley, John Surtees, Bernie Ecclestone, and Ursula Andress.
There were only 218 models made, manufactured from 1956 until 1959 – making the motor super-rare.
If that doesn’t take your fancy, a spectacular McLaren Senna XP, just one of ten in existence, is also up for auction.
The powerful motor has just 47 miles on the clock and carries a 4.0L twin-turbo V8.