The Sotheby’s auction in New York ended with a Ferrari sold for 48 million euros. It is a 330 LM/250 GTO from 1962 with an impressive 390 horsepower V12 that competed in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. A true gem.
Just a few weeks ago we announced the holding of an important auction in New York by RM Sotheby’s in which a unique Ferrari car, an impressive 330 LM/250 GTO racing car, could become the most expensive Ferrari in history. In the end it was not like that because by a narrow margin he came second behind another member of the famous family of the Ferrari GTO.
The auctioned model reached the figure of 51.7 million dollars, which at the current exchange rate stands at just over 48 million euros. I’m not going to tell you that this vehicle doesn’t deserve it, the beauty of its lines, its mechanical implementation with an impressive 390 horsepower V12 engine These are already more than enough reasons for this high price.
But above all, what gives it the most value is that it is the only Ferrari of the GTO family with a 1962 body with this 330 engine. This name means that it is equipped with a V12 with a displacement of 4 liters, when all its brothers in the mythical family, the remaining 33, had that V12 with only 3 liters of displacement. And hence the name 250 of the entire family, with the unit displacement of each cylinder. However, this car sold by Sotheby’s in New York had 330 cc. of unit displacement.
The car also has a track record that also makes it unique, with its participations in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans or in the 1000 km of Nurburgring that same year. In the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans, chassis 3765 corresponding to this model was one of the four official cars of the Maranello team entered. For this race, chassis 3765 carried the number 7 on its doors, exactly the same as the vehicle is sold now.
It was the second fastest car in Thursday’s practice and ultimately came fourth. Thanks to its powerful engine, it was able to keep up with the leader, Phil Hill, with the Ferrari 330 TR/LM, which won the race. But some problems with his engine overheating made him abandon with just a few laps to go.
Of course, its value is also increased by the fact that This car has been owned by a Ferrari lover from Ohio since 1985. and that he has endured a lot of pressure from interested parties to buy his car, an automobile jewel. Although of course, this hard resistance throughout those years has been worth it…. And when the lucky owner managed to get the car he paid around 200,000 euros equivalent, while he sold it for more than 48 million. Of course, in the meantime he has made a significant investment.
When he purchased the vehicle it was quickly transported to the Ferrrari dealership in Florida. There, a brand specialist took care of making a total reconstruction of the impressive Ferrari. It was a total overhaul but keeping even the smallest screw of the vehicle original, which, 61 years after its construction, remains as if it had just left the factory. This can be seen in the photos that accompany this reportwhich have been provided by the prestigious auction company RM Sotheby’s.
And the “business” of top-level collector cars every day it is more valued, as evidenced by a new Sotheby’s auction taking place this weekend in Las Vegas. At this meeting, among many other cars, two impressive Mercedes CLK GTR will be offered, one with a Coupé body and the other a Roadster. Each of them could easily exceed 10 million euros at auction. But there will be many more very interesting cars available. And this market for the most exclusive classic and collectible vehicles, truly unique pieces, continues to rise every day…
