Everything ends up being for sale. Even the sacred monsters in the collection. Reversal of fortune, desire to prepare his succession, weariness, death: the reasons for the sale of these nuggets are many and varied. Thus, in the space of a few years, the market has seen the arrival in the context of public tendering of Ferrari racing trays but also berlinettas and spiders of the line of 250, Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, Jaguar Type D, Bugatti including the Type 59 ex-king of the Belgians but also one of the two Mercedes 300 SLR Coupé Uhlenhaut. Sold by the Mercedes factory last year for 135 million euros, this silver-grey coupe developed for competition has become the most expensive car in the world. Even today, no one can believe that such a sum was spent on an automobile. Proof that some vintage cars can be compared to works of art. The only car able to take first place is the Ferrari250 GTO.
RM Sotheby's
Born in 1962, the berlinetta of the Maranello firm has long held this title. In 2018, as part of its Pebble Beach sales, RM Sotheby's sold one copy (3413 GT) for $ 48.4 million, or 42 million euros according to the exchange rate in force at the time. Since then, other GTOs have changed hands in private transactions. The latest, that of the American James McNeil (3647 GT) who owned it since 1967, would have been around 95 million dollars. Is the $100 million milestone now within OWG's reach?
A 4-liter GTO on sale
It is obvious that the leaders of RM Sotheby's must think about it. The auction house has just been entrusted with the sale of the 250 GTO chassis 3765 GT. Sometimes referenced 3765 LM, this berlinetta would be one of three to have received a 12-liter V4 of 340 horsepower, instead of the 3-liter Colombo of 300 horsepower that equips the GTO. The conditional is used here because experts have still not decided the question of the chassis number of the 4-liter GTO (400 SA Superamerica engine) that Willy Mariresse and Mike Parkes led to second place at the 1,000 km Nürburgring in 1962. According to some sources, the GTO with the boss on the hood would be the car that RM Sotheby's will sell on November 13 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, so the chassis 3765 GT.
RM Sotheby's
If the debate is still not over as to whether of the 4-liter GTO "3673 SA" or the "3765 GT" raced in Germany, the berlinetta of the sale is the one that the factory entered at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1962 for the pair Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini. Equipped with six Weber carburetors instead of three as in the Eifel massif, the red GTO with race number 7 retired at the sixth hour of racing. A sanding of Parkes at Mulsanne resulted in a fatal overheating to the big V12. It was another Ferrari, also equipped with the 12-liter V4 but mounted in the big 330 TRI-LM tray, which had to win. This is the last victory at Le Mans for the pair Phil Hill - Olivier Gendebien.
As for the GTO 3765 GT berlinetta, after its return to the factory, it was sold in July 62 to Pietro Ferraro. He sold it in 1964 to Ferdinando Latteri who entered him in the Targa Florio and in all the events of the Italian hill climb championship. In 1968, it was sold for $8,000 to an American. It will not be seen again in Europe. Since 1985, it has been owned by James Jaeger, a Ferrari collector from Ohio. Besides the GTO, he owned a 312 PB, a 275 Spider NART and other prominent models.
RM Sotheby's
As for whether the GTO "3765 GT" is worth $100 million, answer on November 13. For its part, RM Sotheby's simply announced that the red GT was worth at least $ 60 million. The last bidder of this copy will become the owner of one of the most exclusive GTO produced, one of the few 4 liters. A car with an irrefutable pedigree and which has not changed hands since 1985. The other 4 liters (4561 SA) is the one that the Frenchman Michel-Paul Cavallier, president of the Pont-à-Mousson company turned administrator of SEFAC Ferrari and friend of Enzo Ferrari, will have manufactured for his personal travels. He won't use it for long. In 1964, this Lorraine entrepreneur was to die.
RM Sotheby's