The recently sold 1962 Ferrari 330 LM/250 GTO has a total value of $51,705,000 USD (equivalent to approximately 1,215 billion VND). Initially, the final auction price was $47 million USD, but it increased to over $51 million USD after factoring in all transaction fees.
However, this price is still considerably lower than the auction organizer’s initial expectations. They had estimated the value of the car to be around $60 million USD, as it is a highly unique Ferrari 250 GTO compared to other cars in the market.
This particular model was produced in limited quantities of 36 worldwide, during the period of 1962-1964. It has also achieved notable accomplishments in the Italian horse brand’s racing career.
Specifically, in 1962, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, a new racing category was introduced by the organizers, requiring cars to be equipped with a larger 4.0-liter engine. As a result, this Ferrari 250 GTO was upgraded to a new 4.0-liter engine instead of the usual 3.0-liter type, making it the only GTO fitted with a 4.0-liter engine and used by Scuderia Ferrari for races.
In terms of exterior, it bears resemblance to other 250 GTOs but can be considered a fusion of the 250 GTO and 330 LM due to the larger V12 engine requiring a separate structure. The car participated in the Le Mans race in 1962 but got stuck in the sand after the brakes locked up, dropping to 53rd place. However, driver Lorenzo Bandini managed to get the car back into the race, but overheating caused by an overloaded cooling system forced the team to stop at lap 56.
After fulfilling its racing duties, Ferrari sold the car to a private buyer, who promptly sent it back to the Ferrari factory to be converted back to the regular 250 GTO specifications. At this point, the car was equipped with a 3.0-liter V12 engine and continues to utilize it along with a 5-speed manual gearbox to this day. The car raced a few more times after the engine swap before being sold and exported to the United States in 1967.
Former President of the Ferrari Club of America, Fred Leydorf, purchased this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO in 1974 and owned it until 1985 before selling it to another individual. This individual authorized RM Sotheby’s to auction the car last weekend.
Anh Ð?c (Forum.autodaily.vn)