An auction of classic cars is, for most, a huge showcase to see super exclusive models, since in these times of the digital age they can be followed mostly with transmissions through social networks. And for a minority it is the great opportunity to shell out thousands or millions of dollars for the most precious thing: their possession. It is the description of what can be seen next Saturday, May 20 on the shores ofLake Di Como, where among the models that will go on sale there are a dozen Ferraris that make up a unique collection.
They are the Prancing Horse machines that make up The Aurora Collection, which is based in Sweden. Its owner puts on sale a lot of 14 cars, among which are the 12 Ferraris and a couple of Mercedes-Benz also of high standing. But the focus of what will happen in the auction planned at the Villa Erba estate in northern Italy is on the jewels that have come out of Maranello.
It is a collection of which there is little information, but what was responsible for spreading RM Sotheby's, the prestigious house based in Canada, is that these Ferraris remain immaculate, also given the little known character of their location, and many of them with very little shooting, so much so that there is one that only traveled the internal streets of the Modena plant.
The collection was "never shown in public," Sotheby's states in its announcement. Each model of the Italian house consists of the Ferrari Classiche Certification, the verification that the mechanical equipment, including the engine and the box, the body and the chassis are compatible with the factory records at that time.
All this documentation is compiled in the famous "Red Book", which is delivered to the owner of the unit and will serve as irrefutable testimony that his Ferrari is original, if he wants to sell it later, or show off the jewel that sleeps in his garage. In the valuation estimated by Sotheby's for this dozen Ferraris, a total price of 30 million dollars is calculated.
500 Ferrari 1956 TR Spider by Scaglietti
It is the third of only 17 built and stands out for having participated in 23 races between 1956 and 1961, with three podiums and two victories. The tracks were its natural habitat until 1962, when it was kept in a garage in Stockholm. Sotheby's estimates they can pay up to $4,950,000.
1956 Ferrari 500 TR Spider by Scaglietti. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
250 Ferrari 1961 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pininfarina
It is one of 200 produced. Its chassis and engine numbers were certified in February 2023 by Ferrari Classiche. Based on the Ferrari 250 GT of 1959, history indicates that two years later the Prancing Horse introduced this second convertible model. Its value between US $ 1,100,000 and US $ 1,550,000.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pininfarina. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
250 Ferrari 1961 GT SWB Berlinetta by Scaglietti
Only 165 were built. In February 1961 it left the Ferrari factory and in June it was sold to collector Jack Nethercutt, who resided in Southern California, United States. His peculiarity is that in 1968 he appeared in the famous Disney film Motorized Cupid. For these details it is estimated that they could pay up to US $ 9,500,000.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta by Scaglietti. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
275 Ferrari 1965 GTS by Pininfarina
From the Modena factory it traveled directly to Reno, United States, where it was sold to its first owner in 1965. In 40 years it had only two owners and in 1993, with only 61,000 kilometers, it was sold to an Oregon collector. In 2007 he returned to Europe and since 2015 he has been part of the Aurora Collection. The price: about US$1,850,000.
1965 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
275 Ferrari 4 GTB/1967 by Scaglietti
Between 1966 and 1968, 330 Ferrari 275 GTB/4s were built. It occupies a special place in the history of the house of Maranello, since it represented the end of a golden era for the brand, marked by grand tourers with V12 engine located on the front axle and elegant lines, different from the more brutal ones that later followed, such as the 365 GTB / 4 Daytona. Its value is between US$3,100,000 and US$3,650,000.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
365 Ferrari 4 GTS/1973 Daytona Spider By Scaglietti
Ferrari built 122 Spiders, and this is No. 113. It had only one owner, and that its odometer registers only 59,000 kilometers rolled. The name is a tribute to the 1-2-3 achieved in the 24 1967 Hours of Daytona. It mounts a V12 engine of 4.4 liters of displacement and its chassis and block numbers were certified by the classic division of the brand in 2011.
1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider by Scaglietti (photo: RM Sothebys)
Its sole owner lost the Red Book of warranty, although it retains the digital version. Then, its next owner will have to process the "recertification" with Ferrari. Sotheby's valuation: about $3,300,000.
1986 Ferrari Testarossa
Thousands of kids dreamed of driving a Ferrari Testarossa since those afternoons when they spent playing the video game OutRun, released in 1986. It is that another could not be the protagonist (in addition to the driver and the famous "blonde" who accompanied him) that is not that model that was launched that same year, owner of a unique design.
1986 Ferrari Testarossa. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
On the unit, the Rosso Corsa color is preserved in perfect condition and its odometer barely counts 3,420 kilometers. Whoever pays the $220,000 that Sotheby's considers worth, will take the original personal luggage kit, along with the user manual and toolbox.
550 Ferrari 1997 Maranello
Only one owner has had this model that wears the color Blu Pozzi and that accuses only 3,263 kilometers traveled. If that particularity is not enough, fue the last model with front V12 engine that equipped only manual gearbox. It is estimated that it will be paid between US $ 110,000 and US $ 165,000.
1997 Ferrari 550 Maranello. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
550 Ferrari 2001 Barchetta Pininfarina
It is chassis 220 of the 448 examples that were built. The highlight is that it barely covered 901 kilometers, making it one of the most exotic contemporary Ferraris. From Maranello he went straight to the Aurora Collection. It is valued at US$355,000.
2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
360 Ferrari 2002 Spider
It entered the Aurora Collection in 2010, and since then it has rarely rolled on the pavement, so it only accuses 12,782 kilometers. This coupe has a 3.6-liter engine and 400 horsepower, and is the most "economical" Ferrari on the list, with a price of US $ 130,000.
2002 Ferrari 360 Spider (photo: RM Sothebys)
Ferrari SA Aperta 2011
The Ferrari SA Aperta was launched with only 80 units in tribute to the same number of years of close collaboration between Ferrari and Pininfarina. The tribute, particularly went to Sergio and Andrea Pininfarina, father and son respectively, who led the design center. Just 209 kilometers accuses his odometer, and entered the Aurora Collection in October 2011. The estimated price is US$1,550,000.
2011 Ferrari SA Aperta. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
1 Ferrari Monza SP2019
Only 499 units of this model were manufactured, which could have one seat (SP1) or two (SP2). It does not have a windshield, so whoever drives must use glasses to protect themselves from the wind produced by the 299 km / h speed it can reach.
2019 Ferrari Monza SP1 (photo: RM Sothebys)
In 2019 it was delivered in Barcelona, and in 2022 it became part of the Aurora Collection. It is almost unused: it only traveled 26 kilometers on the streets of the Maranello plant before its delivery. That's why it has a high price: between US $ 2,750,000 and US $ 3,300,000.
The two Mercedes-Benz in the collection
These are two extraordinary examples of those that the German brand built in the 50s. One, the 300 Mercedes-Benz 1955 SL Gullwing. The famous Seagull Wings, original Silver Grey Metallic from the factory, is the fourth of 17 examples that were sent to Sweden between 1954 and 1956.
300 Mercedes-Benz 1955 SL Gullwing. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
It was added to the Aurora Collection in 1981, and is believed to have previously remained mostly in Sweden, except for a few years of residence in the United States, towards the end of the 1960s. The estimated value: between US$1,300,000 and US$1,650,000.
300 Mercedes-Benz 1956 SC Roadster. (Photo: RM Sotheby's)
The other is a 300 Mercedes-Benz 1956 SC Roadster, a model of only 53 units produced. It equips a 3-liter in-line six-cylinder engine, with the detail of being one of the first blocks to have an advanced technology at that time: direct fuel injection. They could pay between $650,000 and $900,000.
See also
