IT’S £25 MILLION! FERRARI SMASHES AUCTION RECORDS
But find out inside why Goodings’ 2014 US sale could still claim ‘most expensive’ title
After frenzied bidding, Artcurial’s star lot for its Rétromobile sale on Friday, a Ferrari racing car owned by the same collector for 40 years, sold for £24.7m. Artcurial claims it’s the world’s most expensive racing car ever to be sold at auction, although Gooding and Company would say its 250 GTO sold in 2014 still holds the record.
The 335S Scaglietti is one of four made, and was driven in period by Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss, Wolfgang von Trips, Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant. This provenance helped the car achieve this price, and confirms these cars are the world’s most desirable – nine of the top 10 sellers are Ferraris.
A 1957 Ferrari became the world’s most expensive racing car sold at auction in Paris after fetching just £24.7 million in Artcurial’s auction on Friday. Its record performance is due in no small part to the amazing role call of drivers who took the wheel during the car’s competition career.
It’s one of four Ferrari 335S Spider Scagliettis made, and this one had been in the hands of French collector Pierre Bardinon for more than 40 years.
Drivers who competed in the car included German driver Wolfgang von Trips, Peter Collins, Maurice Trintignant, Sir Stirling Moss and Mike Hawthorn in the 1958 Le Mans 24 Hours.
Given the driver history and the rarity of this car, it’s really no surprise that the record was broken in Paris.
The market remains strong, especially for Ferraris with provenance, and it points to continued stability in the rest of the classic car market. Keith Adams.
CCW editor, comments: ‘Although the price is not a surprise, it’s an indicator that the top of the market is still in very good shape.’ Keith also points out that exchange rates have affected the records.
‘Basically, the record sale in US dollars remains the $38.115 million paid at Bonhams’ Quail sale in Monterey in 2014 for a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. At the time, the price was €28.5 million and £22.8 million, both of which were topped by this Artcurial sale,’ he says.
The previous record for a racing car was for a 1953 Mercedes W196 racing car driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, sold for £17.5 million Bonhams auction at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed in July 2013. Nine of the overall top 10 selling cars are Ferraris.