Every time a Ferrari 250 GTO is put up for sale, a big event occurs. It is not only one of the most sought-after sports vehicles in history, but it is also one of the most uncommon. Only 36 were made, all between 1962 and 1964, yet, astonishingly, collectors can identify every single one of them. (Ralph Lauren and tech billionaire Craig McCaw both possess one.) When it sold for $38.1 million in August 2014, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO set a new auction price record. Another 1962 GTO, the third one ever constructed, will be put up for auction at RM Sotheby’s on August 24. With a presale estimate of $45 million, this Ferrari is likely to smash the auction record in addition to having an illustrious racing history.
The 250 GTO, the last edition of Ferrari’s 250 model, was designed for racing but also served as a road vehicle. GTO stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, meaning Grand Touring Homologated. The body, which was effectively a 250 Testa Rossa, was powered by a 300 horsepower, 3-liter V12 engine. Each owner of such a beauty received the personal endorsement of Enzo Ferrari, who set the price for such a beauty at $18,000 (about $150,000 today).
1962 250 GTO was a steal at $5,400 when it was sold privately, decades before it was deemed a classic.
The Greatest Barn Find: Chassis 3987 spent 15 years rotting in a field before it was refurbished and sold in 1986 for $1 million.
A 1962 250 GTO that had rusted in a field for 15 years before being repaired was purchased by collector Frank Gallogly for a then-record $1 million a year after Ralph Lauren paid $650,000 for chassis 3987 and Ferrari fever was in full swing. He sold it for $4.2 million two years later.
Cellphone pioneer Craig McCaw purchased a 1962 250 GTO that had formerly belonged to racing icon Stirling Moss in a $35 million private deal.
Record Holder, Part 1: Will the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO’s auction sale price be surpassed in… [+] August?
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO earned a record price at Bonhams’ annual Quail Lodge auction when it sold to Carlos Monteverde, the son of billionaire Brazilian philanthropist Lily Safra, for $38.1 million.
Record Holder, Part 2: The CEO of WeatherTech reportedly paid $70 million for this 1963 Ferrari.
David MacNeil, the founder and CEO of WeatherTech, purchased a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO privately for an estimated $70 million (the equivalent of about a million car mats).
The New Prize: Will this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO surpass all previous auction records for a vehicle?
After a successful racing career, Gianni Bulgari purchased the 1962 250 GTO chassis 3413 in 1963. The Ferrari was bought by billionaire Sir Anthony Bamford six years (and a few owners) later, and after a few more owners, Greg Whitten, a former Microsoft chief software architect, bought it in 2000 for $7 million. The car is currently being offered for sale at RM Sotheby’s, where it is anticipated to break auction records. Whitten justifies his choice to sell by saying, “I’ve had the GTO for a long time.” “I want to buy additional cars as well.”
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A V12 Thunderbred engine
The 250 GTO model represented the apex of the 250 GT series’ evolution in competitive form while still being a road vehicle. At the annual pre-season Ferrari news conference in January 1962, it made its public debut and was the sole front-engine model on show; the monoposto and sports racing models all had mid-engine layouts.
the forerunners
A prior version of the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB served as the basis for the 250 GTO’s initial prototype. The creation of what would eventually become a rare and special production car started in 1961 with the conversion of the inspiration’s chassis to fit the new design specifications. Ferrari produced two different prototypes of the 250 GTO. The first model, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Le Mans Berlinetta Sperimentale, was built to competitive standards, with a competition gearbox, a strengthened chassis, and a completely tuned Tipo 3.0-liter engine producing 300 horsepower. Pininfarina designed the prototype’s body, which was made of a lightweight aluminum alloy. It was entered in the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans competition, but due to engine failure and other problems that needed to be fixed, it was unable to finish the race. They returned it to the factory, where it completed the required upgrades before competing in the 1962 Daytona Continental 3 Hour Race and finishing in fourth place.
A Comprehensive Review Of The Ferrari 250 GTO
Ferrari produced the 250 GTO, a Grand Touring vehicle, between 1962 and 1964. The Prancing Horse claims that this vehicle best encapsulates the brand’s ideology. The superb V12 engine and aerodynamic design are what set it apart. Which is significant considering that Enzo Ferrari is known for frequently calling out competitors by stating things like “Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines.”
It is safe to say that this Ferrari model embodies Enzo Ferrari’s admission of the importance of aerodynamics to driving efficiency. The Italian term for “grand touring homologated” is “gran turismo omologato,” while the “250” in the Ferrari 250 GTO refers to the volume of each of its cylinders in cubic centimeters.
The Ferrari 250 GTO was specifically designed to achieve homologation into the FIA’s Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. Although just 36 units were produced, the Ferrari 250 GTO, with its strong engine, larger valves, and dry-sump lubrication, became a legendary car with a top speed of 170 mph. A stroll down memory lane is worthwhile.
What makes the Ferrari 250 GTO unique?
The Ferrari 250 GTO was able to reach an extraordinary top speed of 170 miles per hour because to its fantastic V12 engine and aerodynamic body design. One of the most storied engine combinations in a car is this one because it has larger valves and dry-sump lubrication.
Additionally, the engine had a twin overhead camshaft, six twin-choke Weber carburetors, and wet cast-iron cylinder liners. A five-speed all-synchronized transmission was also added to the Ferrari. When you put it all together, you get a 2,953cc masterpiece that had 300 horsepower.
The Ferrari 250 GTO won the GT World Championships in 1962, 1963, and 1964 using this engine and architecture. It also won the Targa Florio, Sebring 12-hour, Le Mans, and Spa 1000km.
The Ferrari won more than 300 races across the world when it was on the track, taking first place in its class. These accomplishments rank among the best wins for a road car, or any car for that matter. Legendary statistics back this up.
Only three 4.0L with 3967cc engine GTOs were produced in 1964. At 7500 rpm, the engine was producing 390 horsepower.
This was in fact Ferrari’s last excellent front-engine GT car to be produced.
The 250 GTO debuted when?
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a GT vehicle built by Ferrari between 1962 and 1964 for Group 3 Grand Touring Car homologation. It was propelled by a Tipo 168/62 Colombo V12 engine made by Ferrari.
What is the value of a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO?
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.
What is the market price of a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO?
Paul Pappalardo apparently owned it and raced it in a variety of heritage race series before selling it in 2013. With a sale price of $70.2 million, another Ferrari 250 GTO in silver blue was the most expensive automobile ever.
How many Ferrari 250 GTOs exist in existence today?
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.
What Ferrari model is the rarest?
We’ve found the only Ferrari 328 Convertible ever produced, which is for sale. Wait until you read the story of how the car was created if you think that’s the cool part.
Have you heard about the Pininfarina Sergio, based on the Ferrari 458? Given that just six were produced, probably not. How about the well-known 250 GTO? 36 of those were present. Even the Ferrari F40 is incredibly widespread, with 1,311 units being produced.
The only other one is this 1984 Ferrari 328 Convertible (serial number 49543), making it the most uncommon of them. It’s also up for sale.
The car is still located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, close to its home town of Maranello near Modena, and is painted Giallo Modena (yellow) over a black leather interior with a black soft top.
A standard Ferrari 328 costs roughly EUR1.1 million (A$1.7 million) less than the ask, which is a hefty EUR1,200,000 (A$1.85 million). Why then the outrageous price?
The Ferrari 328, which had a 200kW 3.2-liter V8 and a five-speed manual transmission, evolved from the Ferrari 308, which was only available as a coupe (GTB) or targa (GTS).
The 328, which was constructed between 1984 and 1988, shared a production line with the 2+2 Mondial, V12 Testarossa, grand-touring 412, and the 288 GTO and F40 supercars.
According to the records, chassis 49543 was not only the convertible prototype but also the first 328 series development prototype.
Pininfarina created the design, while Ferrari’s Carrozzeria Scaglietti in Modena constructed the vehicle as a production-ready soft-top. After that, it underwent certification and road registration to evaluate the new 3.2-liter V8’s performance and the revised chassis’ dynamic capabilities.
The Mondial was Ferrari’s mid-engine V8 convertible, but management believed that the 328 would hurt sales of the 2+2 (a total of 2456 Mondial coupes were made between 1983 and 1993, compared to 3693 Mondial coupes), thus the 328 retained the same GTS and GTB options as the 308.
The yellow cabrio was sold to a private buyer and let loose, in contrast to many “not for production” prototypes that are typically destroyed.
Over the course of its four-year production run, 7,412 Ferrari 328 vehicles were made, 82% of which were GTS Targa models. It was one of the final automobiles that Enzo Ferrari oversaw before his passing in 1988.
The convertible’s chances of success Probably, but the truth will only ever be known by one fortunate buyer.