Ferrari 410 Sport Spider

Posted on July 6, 2022 by classiccarweekly

1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider by Scaglietti

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2022

Enzo Ferrari wanted a car that could win the Carrera Panamericana in 1955. The company developed a new sports car chassis and fitted it with the 5.0-liter V12 from the 410 Superamerica. The twin-plug racing engine produced 400 horsepower, which was 40 more than the two single-plug customer cars that Ferrari delivered to some independent drivers.

Two twin-plug cars were built, with this being one of them. The Carrera was cancelled, so this car was saved for the 1956 World Sportscar Championship. This chassis, #0598, was driven by Fangio at the 1000 km of Buenos Aires before being sold into privateer hands.

From there, it was used at a variety of hillclimbs and SCCA events in the U.S., with wins racked up by Carroll Shelby. Other drivers in period included Phil Hill, Richie Ginther, Masten Gregory, Jo Bonnier, Jim Rathmann, and Fireball Roberts.

The full history of this car is pretty interesting and can be read here. Other notable events include decades under ownership of Luigi Chinetti. It was cosmetically refreshed in the 1980s, and the engine was rebuilt in 2012. With only four produced, and only two in this specification, this is a monster among golden-era Ferrari sports racing cars. RM won’t even publish an estimate.

Update: Sold $22,005,000.

Renault Sport Spider

Posted on March 27, 2015 by classiccarweekly

1997 Renault Sport Spider

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Birmingham, U.K. | March 28, 2015

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Renault isn’t really a company known for their sports cars. In the 1980s, they had the 5 Turbo, one of the hottest of hatches of the era. In the 1990s, Renault decided they needed a vehicle that would draw attention to their brand. So they turned to their in-house sporting division, Renault Sport (a division that traces its roots back to Alpine and Gordini), to build one.

The Spider went on sale in 1996 and was discontinued in the 1998 model year. They were powered by a mid-rear-mounted 2.0-liter straight-four making 148 horsepower. Renault also hosted a one-make racing series for these cars that lasted from 1995 through 1999.

This car is a 1990s classic. It’s one of the more unique vehicles produced by any major manufacturer during the decade and will be always be collectible for both its one-of-a-kind styling and rareness. Only 1,635 were built and this is one of only 60 right-hand drive examples. It should sell for between $27,000-$33,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $33,300.

Abarth 2000 Sport Prototipo SE010

Posted on September 8, 2014 by classiccarweekly

1969 Abarth 2000 Sport Spider SE010 Prototipo

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo – Bonhams

Carlo Abarth founded his company in 1949. Originally a race team, they soon turned their attention to tuning Fiats. Racing was always the love of Abarth so long as Carlo was in charge (instead of a trim line on modern Fiats).

They never lost their racing roots, as this car attests. The 2000 Sport Prototipo was introduced in 1968. This car is part of the later SE010 series with its signature four headlights (or “Quattro Fari“). The engine is a 2.0-liter straight-four making around 250 horsepower.

This car was used in hillclimbs in Italy when new, winning many that it entered. It was later acquired by Fabrizio Violati and has been in his Maranello Rosso collection for years. This is chassis #40 of what is believed to be around 50 built total. They don’t come up for sale often and this one is in very nice condition, even if it will require a thorough re-freshening after having been on display for many years. It should sell for between $330,000-$410,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $302,415.