The 250 Testa Rossa was first created to compete in the 1957 World Sportscar Championship racing season in response to rule changes that would mandate a maximum engine displacement of 3 liters for the ensuing 1958 season. By using the more potent 3.0L V12 engine from the 250 GT series, Colombo sought to improve the current 4-cylinder 2.0L 500 TR/500 TRC Testa Rossa. Ferrari upgraded the existing Testa Rossa body and chassis in addition to the new engine. As with past Ferrari racing cars, Enzo Ferrari expected complete dependability from every component, leading to a more conservative design strategy that focused more on longevity than overall speed in order to achieve victory in endurance racing. While the 250 TR was being developed, Carlo Chiti served as the lead designer. His constant experimentation offset Mr. Ferrari’s conservatism and resulted in the several tweaks that kept the car competitive through 1962. Giotto Bizzarrini, who assisted with aerodynamic upgrades for the 1961 season, and Andrea Fraschetti, who helped create the initial 250 TR prototype before his 1957 test-driving death, both made significant contributions to the 250 TR.
Scuderia Ferrari raced and continued to improve the 250 TR from 1957 until 1962. Between 1957 and 1962, 33 250 TRs of all varieties were produced. This number includes 19 “special versions” of the 250 TR that were sold to independent racing teams in place of the 500 TRC. All customer cars had live rear axles and left-hand drive Scaglietti “pontoon fender” bodywork. Although several independent teams modified their 250 TRs or bought ex-Scuderia Ferrari cars in order to stay competitive, they did not benefit from the ongoing advancements to Scuderia Ferrari vehicles.
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What Did You Say, Exactly? $40.00 million
The unrestored ex-works Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was offered for sale by classic auto dealer Tom Hartley for almost $40 million, making it the most expensive vehicle ever to change hands on the open market! You can imagine the uproar that was brought on by the 2009 price tag, which made headlines and had people gasping! With race victories, a former Formula One world champion, and an unrestored rare car, the astronomical $40 million auction price almost seems acceptable. This 250 Testa Rossa was used for racing before being transferred to the Henry Ford Museum, located just outside of Detroit, and then sold to Tom Hartley in 1997 for an undisclosed sum. He kept the automobile until 2014, when he sold it privately for an absurd $40 million; the buyer of the car is still a mystery as a result of the sale’s secrecy.
Testa Rossa 250 Ferrari
The 250 Testa Rossa was created to provide users of the 500 TRC with a significantly more potent engine on a similar chassis, preserving the excellent handling of the earlier model. Additionally, it was rumored that the FIA would cap prototype engine sizes at three liters, which turned out to be true. The dependable V12 from the 250 Gran Turismo was therefore utilised, but with radical tuning and six twin-choke carburetors. Only the valve covers were painted red in comparison to the 500 TRC, but the car nevertheless retained the Testa Rossa brand and won the Manufacturers’ World Championship in 1958.
- 60-degree Typefront, Longitudinal V12
- 73 x 58.8 mm Bore/stroke
- 246.10 cc of unitary displacement
- 2953.21 cc total displacement
- 9.8:1 compression ratio
- Maximum output at 7200 rpm is 221 kW (300 horsepower).
- 102 horsepower per liter.
- highest torque
- Twin overhead camshafts per bank, two valves per cylinder, valve actuation
THIS VEHICLE
They came to the conclusion that the 250 V-12 engine was more dependable than Ferrari’s other options for the 1958 season. The company’s only option, given the new 3 liter constraint, was this. The 4-cylinder 500 Testa Rossa chassis was already in place, and it could be modified to accommodate the V-12 to create a vehicle that would accomplish its main goal—survive a 24-hour race at high speeds.
Finally, the brand-new 250 Testa Rossa was unveiled in November 1957 at a press conference that received a lot of attention and was extensively documented. They received additional exposure through the automotive media, most notably Auto Italiana Sport, which featured not only in-depth images of our real car—the first customer car—but also a nice photo of it being loaded into the plane’s belly at the Malpensa Airport on its way to New York and ultimately to dealer Johnny von Neumann in California.
The initial cars used drum brakes, but high capacity sports races were moving toward disc brakes, so they strengthened the chassis. The back axle remained live. But the automobile was immediately noticeable because of the stunning Scaglietti pontoon bodywork, both then and now. The car had a fascinating history in international and regional sports racing, passing through various iterations until the more stable De Dion rear axle all-enveloping bodywork evolved in 1960 and ’61. The cutaway fenders provided excellent air cooling for the brakes.
They are among the most sought-after post-war sports racing cars due to their stunning bodywork. Between 1958 and 1961, 22 different Testa Rossa models competed in 19 international championship races, taking home the victory in ten of them.
Generally speaking, the Testa Rossas created for the World Sportscar Championship saw gradual modifications throughout the course of the seasons. Sebring, Targa Florio, and Le Mans were won in 1958 by some of the world’s best racers. Privateers increased the number of vehicles in the field so that Ferraris predominated in the major competitions. Ferrari’s biggest letdown in 1958 came from a defeat at the Nurburgring against our Aston Martin DBR1. Although there were only 19 of these cars available for purchase by customers in 1958, they had a long and intriguing career, and their successes in club racing continued well into the 1960s. From 1959 to 1961, they produced a few works vehicles, all of which had successful racing careers.
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Let’s start with the iconic pontoon-fendered body, inspired by Formula 1 cars of the era and created by coachbuilder Scagliett, which made a single Ferrari worth approximately twelve Bugatti Veyrons, or about 225 Chevrolet Corvettes. In May 2009, the hammer fell at RM Auctions, and history was made. A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa had just been purchased for $12,169,784, making it the single most expensive vehicle ever sold at auction up
The 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, often known as the Ferrari 250 TR, is a rear-wheel drive sports automobile manufactured by Ferrari. It was included in Forza Motorsport 3’s Motorsport Legends Car Pack and will be included as standard in all upcoming Forza main series games.
One of the most desired vehicles of all time is the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
One of the few race vehicles based on the extraordinary Ferrari 250, which served as the model for some of the most well-known automobiles of the 1950s and 1960s, is the Ferrari250TestaRossa (or Ferrari TR). With three overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1958, 1960, and 1961, as well as four victories at Sebring, Testa Rossa ranks among the most successful racing Ferraris ever.
What is the market value of a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa?
It may not come as a surprise, but the price of ultra-rare antique vehicles will only rise over time, especially if the vehicle has a prancing horse on the front end. For illustration, in 2011 a
$35,000,000 was paid for a 1962 250 GTO. Its price made it the most expensive vehicle ever sold.
The 275 GTB/4 NART Spider from the previous year and its $27.5 million auction price seem little in comparison. Now, another costly incident has occurred.
It was the most expensive vehicle ever sold in the UK at $39 million. To put $39 million into perspective, 28
vintage vehicle The automobile in the image above, chassis number 0714, is one of the reasons why
auctioned in 2009 for just $12.2 million; its superb provenance is what made the price so high.
Le Mans 24 Hours, despite the fact that it was abandoned. With this specific vehicle, Phil Hill and Peter Collins won in Buenos Aires and
One of only 34 250 Testa Rossas ever produced, this extraordinarily rare car nearly makes its astronomical auction price seem reasonable.
Outside of Detroit is the Henry Ford Museum. It remained there for 30 years before being sold in 1997. As stated by
Hemmings, one of the reasons this unrestored automobile is still in such outstanding shape is the attention given by The Henry Ford crew, which has a sizable collection of rare and vintage vehicles.
It’s unlikely that we’ll ever get the full story of the sale’s circumstances from the auction house. Pricing details are sourced from
According to The Daily Mail, reliable sources have confirmed the price of 24 million pounds, which as of this writing translates to $39.2 million. Tom Hartley, Jr., a British citizen, was the car’s owner.
What is the value of a 250 Testa Rossa?
$40.00 million The unrestored ex-works Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was offered for sale by classic auto dealer Tom Hartley for over $40 million, making it the most expensive vehicle ever to change hands in the open market.
How many Ferrari 250 GTOs exist in existence today?
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. Each street-legal racer rolled out of the Italian factory with a 3.0-liter V12 engine that is rated at 300 horsepower.
Has every Ferrari 250 GTO been located?
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 cars 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.”