1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ by Scaglietti

Offered by RM Auctions | London, England | October 31, 2012

There are perhaps few cars that have had more variations of them built than the Ferrari 250. The backbone of the series is the Colombo V12 displacing 3.0 liters. Power output was model-specific, and this car puts out 247 horsepower, which is about mid-range for a Tour de France model (they ranged from 237-256 between the different series).

The 250 GT Tour de France came about after a special Pinin Farina-designed and Scaglietti-built special won the 1956 Tour de France road race that was held all over France. The designation was never official but was used to describe the cars by the factory. The design was put into production and a total of 79 were built between 1956 and 1959. They were built in four distinct series. This is a Series IV car, the 30th of the 36 built (Series IV are the most numerous). What sets it apart is the fact that it has but one vent behind each of the side windows as well as uncovered headlights (although some export models had the headlight covers fitted, making this even rarer).

Right from the get-go, this car was used for competition. It competed in hill climbs all over Italy in the hands of its first owner, reaching the podium in its class multiple times and winning a few as well. After only three years on the circuit, the car exchanged hands for the first time, and then hopped from here to there, spending years in some of the world’s great collections.

It has competed in the historic Mille Miglia and was restored by its current owner, who acquired it in 2002. While the ‘Tour de France’ 250 GT may not be a 250 GTO, their prices have risen steadily over the years and they remain one of the most collectible (and by that I mean “expensive”) variants of the 250 GT. Only serious Ferrari collectors need apply, as the pre-sale estimate is listed at $2,900,000-$3,850,000. For more information, click here. And for more from RM in London, click here.

Update: Sold $3,160,000.

1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 12, 2012

When new, the Ferrari 375 was the top dog among Ferraris with the 4.5-liter Lampredi V-12 making a potent 340 horsepower. It was also capable of a speeds in excess of 170 mph – insanity in 1953. This car was shipped new to Argentina where it quickly built a reputation for speed and success. It’s impressive competition history includes:

1954 Argentine Sports Car Championship – 1st (with Diaz Saenz Valiente)

1954 Turismo Carretera – 1st (with Valiente)

1955 Buenos Aires 1000 km – 2nd (with Cesar Rivero and Raul Najurieta)

1955 Argentina Sports Car Championship – 1st (with Najurieta)

1956 500 Miles of Argentina – 1st (with Najurieta)

The car suffered a few serious crashes in its lifetime, but it is a race car, and repairs from racing are kind of expected. The last serious accident was in 1957 and it’s racing career ended. An American V8 was then installed in the car and it was used on the street until it was eventually parked and forgotten.

In 1983, the car was discovered again in Montevideo, Uruguay. It was shipped to Italy and restored under the ownership of Count Vittorio Zanon di Valgiurata between 1984 and 1986. A correct 375 MM engine was found and put into the car – although it is not the engine it came with from the factory. Since its restoration, it has changed hands a number of times and has enjoyed a career of historic racing – including the Monterey Historics and Mille Miglia Storica.

Only 15 Ferrari 375 MMs were built and they are valuable. This one has known (and successful) competition and ownership history. It is simply a killer Ferrari and won worth it’s weight in gold. The pre-sale estimate is (converted to USD) $4,300,000-$5,300,000. Good luck bidding.

For the complete catalog description, click here and for more from RM in Monaco, click here.

Update: did not sell.