The most ardent Ferrari collectors will go to any lengths to acquire a vintage model. The absurd sums that affluent aficionados have paid to add vintage Ferraris to their collections serve as evidence for this. In 2018, a record price was paid at auction for a classic car, and the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is no exception.
At a Sotheby’s auction in California, one fortunate investor won the renowned Ferrari with a price of $48.4 million. It was anticipated that the red 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO would sell for between $45 million and $60 million at auction.
The winning price of $48.4 million is substantial, but it falls short of expectations given what was anticipated of the Ferrari. Even more amazingly, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO was also sold in 2018 for $80 million, albeit privately. The hand-built nature of every Ferrari 250 GTO that left the factory only serves to enhance the attraction of this legendary GT.
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$70 million for a Ferrari 250 GTO
In the world of collectable cars, the Ferrari 250 GTO is recognized as the Holy Grail. It is one of the rarest Ferraris in existence and one of the most successful racing cars of its era, which only increases the value of this historical artifact. Only 36 units were produced between 1962 and 1964.
There is no such thing as a cheap Ferrari 250 GTO, but this specific model from 1963 with the serial number 4153 GT currently holds the record for the most expensive vehicle ever sold at auction for a staggering $70,00,000. powered by a Tipo Comp engine with 302 hp. This front-engined GT car could run the quarter-mile in just 13.1 seconds and achieve 174 mph, which was unheard of at the time, thanks to its 3-liter V-12 and 5-speed gearbox with a Porsche-style synchromesh. One of the main factors in this record-breaking example’s high price is the fact that it even won the Tour de France in 1964. If and when the anonymous owner of this legendary piece of automotive history decides to sell it, the same example is predicted to bring over $100 million.
Why does the Ferrari GTO 250 cost so much?
Given how few were produced by the Italian company, the Ferrari 250 GTO is so pricey. During a brief production cycle from 1962 to 1964, only 36 were produced.
These sports vehicles were created for on-track competition in the FIA’s Group 3 class. The Ferrari 250 GTO had an exceptional track record during its prime because to such design. It became an icon after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Tour de France Automobile, and several Grands Prix.
The 250 GTO was a force to be reckoned with as soon as it reached the circuit. The performance of the vintage Ferrari exceeded all expectations, and it quickly rose to collectible status.
It’s virtually impossible to get a genuine 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO because so few of them were ever made. Anyone who owns one wants to keep it, and anyone who wants to purchase one needs to have a lot of extra money.
What is the market price of a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO?
The astounding news was revealed by CNBC in June 2018. When the media revealed some of the details of the sale between two Ferrari enthusiasts, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO amazed readers. And it’s thought that the price of this privately negotiated sale may be the highest ever for a car.
For a staggering $70 million, the new owner took home this 1963 250 GTO (more about that later). And sales figures like these keep the general public interested in the arrival and departure of these iconic automobiles.
A Ferrari 250 GTO is owned by whom?
Two 250 GTOs are currently held by three people: Wal-Rob Mart’s Walton, hedge fund owners Tony and Lulu Wang (who are unrelated to owner Brandon Wang in the United Kingdom), and British industrialist Sir Anthony Bamford, who had briefly owned the chassis that just sold.
How many Ferrari 250 GTOs are there today?
A 1963 silver Ferrari GTO was sold privately for $70 million in June 2018, which is said to be the most money ever spent on a vehicle.
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO in red went for $48.4 million at auction in August of that year.
And in October 2017, British historic vehicle dealer and former race driver Gregor Fisken purchased the blue 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO owned by Washington, D.C.-based attorney Bernard Carl for $44 million.
The car’s gearbox is currently the subject of a $500,000 legal dispute between Carl and Fisken.
According to The Telegraph, Fisken claims he purchased the Ferrari with the knowledge that it lacked the original gearbox, a component of the transmission, but with the agreement that Carl would eventually provide it to him.
Fisken sued Carl for contract breach and demanded that Carl deliver the original gearbox right now. Carl then filed a lawsuit against Fisken, alleging that Fisken failed to locate the part because neither he nor Carl would pay a $25,000 fee to the American auto dealer that Carl claims is in possession of it. In addition, Carl is requesting from Fisken $500,000 to pay the expense of his search for the original gearbox.
Both men no longer actually own the car, but the matter is still pending. According to The Telegraph, Fisken sold the Ferrari to a “rich unnamed collector” in 2017 for an unknown sum.
The racing heritage of Ferrari GTOs contributes to their popularity. The GTO at the focus of the legal dispute competed in a number of notable races in the 1960s, including two in particular.
Famous endurance racers Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien drove this Ferrari in the “12 Hours of Sebring” in 1962, finishing second.
The most renowned endurance race, the “24 Hours of Le Mans,” was won by Hill and Gendebien in the Ferrari that same year.
Its components were frequently taken out and changed as a race car to increase the likelihood of success on the track. Forbes claims that this is the reason the vehicle’s original gearbox was taken out and not replaced.
Ferrari claims that the 3-liter V12 engine used in the 250 GTO produces 300 horsepower at 7,400 rpm. It is left- or right-hand drive and features a cable-operated handbrake on the rear wheels.
What is the most affordable Ferrari?
The brand of supercars that is perhaps best known worldwide is Ferrari. This Italian carmaker has gained notoriety for its outstanding performance and domination in motorsports. In order to make their sports vehicles even more thrilling, Ferrari has started using turbocharging and electricity.
The Portofino is the least costly Ferrari currently on the market, yet no Ferrari can be classified as entry-level. The base price of this classy roadster is around $215,000 before options, and like any Ferrari, extras are available in abundance.
Most Expensive: The SF90 Stradale is a display of Ferrari’s performance prowess. Its hybridized twin-turbo V-8 produces close to 1,000 horsepower. The SF90 is considerably over $1 million in price, but you can’t just go into a dealer’s lot and purchase one. To add an SF90 to your collection of Prancing Horses, you must receive a personal invitation from Ferrari.
The most entertaining Ferrari to drive is impossible to choose, just as the preferred pizza variety. Nevertheless, we were in awe of the 812 Superfast. We won’t soon forget the 812 “Stoopidfast’s” V-12 song since emissions regulations cast doubt on the future of 12-cylinder engines.
As soon as a car is released, we want to test and rank as many of them as we can. We’ll rank new models as we periodically update our rankings and we might even change the scores for some models. Vehicles with insufficient testing data, however, are not scored.
How many more 250 GTOs are there?
Although it’s popularly believed that all 36 of the 250 GTOs are still in existence today, it was just the third 250 GTO to ever roll off the Maranello assembly line.
How much is the Ferrari driven by Ferris Bueller worth?
While you might not want to take the advice of a Ferrari-stealing, joyriding truant for much else, Bueller was right on this one point, at least, in the classic 1980s film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, where young protagonist Ferris recommends picking up a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder — if you have the means, of course. A genuine 250 GT California is a priceless vintage car that is worth millions of dollars. This 1985 Modena Spyder California, better known to the world as one of the three Ferrari replicas used in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, is almost as good as the real deal and sold for a more manageable $396,000 on Saturday at the 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction.
According to popular belief, John Hughes intended for his next film to have a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder as its lead vehicle. The only issue was that even then, a true Ferrari was too pricey. It’s simple to understand why a duplicate was utilized in place of the original vehicle given the rough treatment it would undergo in the movie, including jumps and being thrown backwards out of a suburban Chicago home and into a ravine.
Three cars were commissioned for the movie, each in a different state of completion; only one of them was returned to Modena Design, where movie damage was repaired and the car was resold several times, most recently to an American at a 2010 Bonhams auction in England.
The third car, chassis 003, was unsold at Mecum’s 2019 Monterey auction with a high bid of $225,000, but this car, chassis 001, recently underwent a full restoration by Modena Design co-founder Neil Glassmoyer.
There’s no denying chassis 001’s place in history as a cinematic classic and an expensive one at that. Enthusiastic bidding at Barrett-Jackson led in a final price of $396,000 with the buyer’s premium included. It is unclear exactly which sequences chassis 001 appeared in for the film.