Will it be the most expensive car in the world?
11/15/2016
The Ferrari 250 GTO from 1962 is said to cost 45 million British pounds. At current exchange rates, that would be 53 million euros or 56 million Swiss francs (before the Brexit discussion, it would have been significantly more euros or francs). If someone wanted to pay for the GTO in cash, they would have to bring 900,000 50-pound notes (there are no larger notes in the UK), an entire overseas suitcase of them.
However, the people at Talacrest, who are offering the car for sale, have probably not completely misjudged the price, as chassis number 3387 is a very special Ferrari 250 GTO.
It is the second GTO ever produced. It is the first ever to compete in a race. It was used by Scuderia Ferrari for many tests. It has an impressive palmares with 27 races in the early sixties and 17 podium finishes.
The Ferrari was completed on March 16, 1962, and then underwent many tests for the final development of the GTO model. It was finally sold to America in June and the first owner registered the car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Robert Grossman and Fireball Roberts finished the 1962 race in sixth place overall and as winners of the three-litre experimental class. The car was repeatedly entered in races until around 1965, since when it has changed hands several times and was finally restored by Stephen Griswold in the 1970s. After that, the car was offered for sale twice more, and for the last 19 years it remained in the possession of Bernie Carl. All of this was meticulously documented by the Swiss Ferrari expert Marcel Massini.
Earlier Ferrari transactions include around USD 38 million that Bonhams achieved two years ago at Quail Lodge for a GTO and USD 52 million for which another GTO (5111) is said to have been traded privately. Chassis 3387 is now expected to fetch USD 56 million (at current exchange rates), setting a new record. No wonder the British specialist Talacrest, who according to his own information has already been involved in eight GTO sales, is beating the advertising drums (and has also created beautiful pictures). There is even a dedicated mini website for the car.
