Two Classic Ferraris, Including a Burnt-Out Racer, Sold for Insane Prices
Classic car sales are always a highlight of Monterey Car Week in California because of the eye-popping prices they manage to set. The 2023 edition was no different with two particular Ferraris selling for unreal sums.
First, a 1967 Ferrari 412P found a new owner for a whopping $30,255,000 USD, or the equivalent of about $40,914,000 at the current exchange rate. It’s the most expensive car ever sold by Bonhams, eclipsing the 2013 sale of Juan Manuel Fangio's 1954 Mercedes-Benz F1 W196 race car, and the fourth most expensive Ferrari sold at an auction.
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The 412P was an endurance race car with just two original copies. The unit you see here carries chassis number 0854 and is the only one to retain its original body, engine and transmission. We’re talking about a 4-litre V12 with carburetors (producing an estimated 420 hp) and a five-speed manual gearbox.
Following its racing career, the car traded hands multiple times. One owner had it restored over a nine-year period, according to Bonhams. You can take a look at the formidable work in the photo gallery at the top of the page.
Also during Monterey Car Week, several more Ferraris were sold, including the burnt-out remains of a 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I. Incredibly, someone paid RM Sotheby's as much as $1,875,000 USD (approx. $2,535,000 CAD).
The 500 Mondial, if you remember, was built to commemorate Alberto Ascari’s back-to-back Formula 1 championships in 1952 and 1953. This example is one of 13 that were originally completed with Pinin Farina spider coachwork. It raced at the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio and Imola Grand Prix, among other events.
At some point in the mid-1960s, the 500 Mondial was crashed and suffered fire damage. It still managed to find new takers up until 1978. It has since been preserved in its race-damaged condition, accounting for 45 years of seclusion from the collectible Ferrari niche.
The car continues to wear its factory-issued chassis plate and it was accompanied by components including rear-axle corners, a matching-numbers gearbox and a larger, 3-litre Tipo 119 Lampredi inline-four engine, such as would have been used in a Ferrari 750 Monza.
RM Sotheby’s called it an “intriguing restoration project.” We certainly would want to see the result—or miracle—if the new owner actually goes ahead with that plan.