Despite the widespread belief 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. A 3.0 liter V12 engine with a claimed 300 horsepower was installed under the hood of each street-legal racer as it left the Italian manufacturer.
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A Quick History of the Ferrari 250 GTO in the World of Luxury
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 computer tycoon Craig McCaw each possess one. In August 2014, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO broke the auction record when it sold for $38.1 million. 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 decaying in a field before it was repaired and brought back to life. In 1986, [+] was sold 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.”
Do Chris Evans’ Ferrari 250 GTOs belong to him?
Chris Evans, a Radio 2 DJ and TopGear friend, has acquired a 1963 Ferrari 250GTO for himself. for PS12,000,000. Evans’s recent purchase, one of only 36 250 GTOs ever produced and one of the very few with Series II GTO bodywork, has a distinguished racing history and has been dubbed the “Leonardo da Vinci of motoring.”
Chris Evans, a Radio 2 DJ who spent a week in Monterey, is not the purchaser. Evans, a car aficionado, placed a PS18 million offer on a Ferrari 250 GTO at a city Bonhams auction on Thursday. In the end, the 1962 Berlinetta sold for a record-breaking PS22.84 million. It’s also assumed that the unknown buyer is British.
Chris Evans, a Radio 2 DJ and TopGear friend, has acquired a 1963 Ferrari 250GTO for himself. for PS12,000,000. Evans last month sold a 250 GT LWB California Spyder and 250 GT SWB Berlinetta for a combined price of PS4 million to make room on his driveway for the 250 GTO.
There are how many Ferrari 250 GTOs in existence?
To be homologated for Group 3 Grand Touring Car racing in 1962, a car had to be produced in at least one hundred examples, according to FIA standards. Ferrari only produced 36 250 GTOs (33 of the 1962-design Series I cars and three 1964-design Series II cars, with revised bodywork). The three more “330 GTO” vehicles with the four-liter 330 engine—identified by the noticeable hump on the bonnet—are occasionally added to the total production number, bringing it to 39. It became a common misconception that Enzo Ferrari moved the same automobiles between different places to give the appearance that all 100 cars were there when FIA inspectors arrived to verify that 100 examples had been produced. Actually, no deception was necessary because the older 250 GT Berlinetta SWB model’s homologation paid the cost of the construction of the 250 GTO. These homologation papers were issued in 1960, but between 1961 and 1964, extensions were often requested and approved, enabling Ferrari to make additions not covered by the initial specification, such as alterations to the engine, transmission, and suspension. Additionally, because more than 100 bodies had been constructed in accordance with the previous 250 GT SWB specification, FIA rules permitted the design of a new body, which resulted in the creation of the new 250 GTO body style. Similar procedures were employed to homologate the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato and the Jaguar E-Type Lightweight, so this form of homologation was not exclusive to Ferrari.
How many Ferrari GTO models are there?
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.
How can one obtain a Ferrari 250 GTO?
In the game, there is a good reason to get the Ferrari 250 GTO 1962. Of all the vehicles, the 250 GTO has the greatest valuation at 50,000,000 credits. But there is a clear benefit to spending time to locate the barn for any Forza Horizon 5 gamer. A participant of the game will have the opportunity to acquire the pricey car by discovering the barn.
On the eastern coast of Mexico, close to Los Jardines road, is where you can find the barn housing the 250 GTO. The two concrete roadways are connected by a dirt road that players must find. At a spot where the track going to the barn can be found, both of those routes come together.
However, given how long it takes to restore the car, things can get really complicated. Although a precise estimate has not been made, the restoration time is determined by how much time the player spends playing. Therefore, locating the barn and pausing the game for a few days won’t immediately unlock the automobile. Some players claim that there is a method for accelerating the development.
What percentage of Ferrari 250 Grand Turismo Omologatos are still in existence?
The Cars’ Scarcity Between 1962 and 1964, just 36 Ferrari 250 GTOs were produced, and as time passes, that number sadly and inevitably declines. It is not unexpected that the 250 GTO has fetched absolutely absurd sums of money at auction.
The Ferrari 250 GTOs are owned by who?
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.
What is the value of a Ferrari GTO 250?
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.