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					 Three weeks 
					today Sotheby's 
					will finally be conducting an unprecedented sale dedicated 
					to Italy's finest sports cars. The auction of Ferrari and 
					Maserati models spanning seven decades will be unique for 
					many reasons, not least because it will be held on the 
					hallowed ground of the prancing horse headquarters at 
					Maranello, where everything from the 1958 412S to the 
					Formula One F2004 have been built and tested. 
					Sotheby's is the only 
					auction house ever to hold a sale supported by Ferrari. The 
					event will also be a first in that every vehicle will be 
					sold with the full authentication from Ferrari's factory 
					engineers. Months of painstaking research has gone into 
					ensuring that all the cars are genuine and correct in every 
					detail, thereby eliminating the pitfalls often associated 
					with buying the rarest and finest examples of the Ferrari 
					and Maserati marques. 
					
					Highlights of the 
					Sale 
					 
					The sale will present a selection of the most desirable and 
					important Ferraris and Maseratis. Among them is the 1962 
					Ferrari 330 TRI, which was the last front engine Ferrari to 
					win the Le Mans 24 Hours, and which was in the Bardinon 
					collection for 30 years. The 
					beautiful 4-cylinder 1955 750 Monza, a model that 
					contributed to the victory in that championship, is 
					estimated at 1,200,000-1,300,000 euros, and the 1961 250 GT 
					"lusso", by common consent one of the most beautiful 
					road-going Ferraris, is estimated at 800,000-1,200,000 
					euros. The 400th Ferrari Enzo built, is also included in the 
					sale, being offered by Ferrari to benefit the Tsunami 
					appeal. It is estimated at 1,000,000-1,100,000 euros. The sale will be 
					highlighted by the Formula One F2004, chassis number 234, in 
					which Schumacher won the Australian, Malaysian, Bahrain, 
					Imola and Spanish races. When the Formula One F2004 appears 
					at auction in June, it will be the first time that Ferrari 
					has offered a Formula One car from the past season. Estimate 
					available on request. 
					 
					Maserati entries 
					include a superb 5000 GT, considered the most important 
					Maserati road car. With a beautiful body by Touring and 
					fitted with a 450 S racing engine, it is estimated at 
					650,000-750,000 euros. 
  
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							The auction will also include a Maserati MC12 
							factory car, chassis number 071, which won the 2004 FIA GT 
					championship race at Oschersleben (above), giving the first 
							victory to Maserati at a major international  
							race  in  37  years  | 
						 
					 
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							The 
							Sotheby's sale will be highlighted by a Formula One 
							Ferrari F2004, chassis number 234, in which Michael 
							Schumacher won the Australian Grand Prix (above) 
							before going on to win in Malaysia,  Bahrain,  
							San  Marino  and  Spain  | 
						 
					 
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					Also a fine example of the legendary 
					4CL racing car of the forties, which is estimated to fetch 
					400,000-550,000 euros. The sale will also 
					include the Maserati MC12 factory car, chassis number 071, a 
					two-seater long-tail coupé-spider with a long wheel base 
					(2800 mm). It has a typical racing set-up with a removable 
					hard top, powered by a naturally aspirated 12-cylinder 65º V 
					engine that displaces 5998 cc and punches out 465 kW at 7500 
					rpm. Highly advanced composites and alloys have enhanced its 
					structural rigidity and kept its overall weight to a 
					minimum. This particular model won the 2004 FIA GT 
					championship race at Oschersleben, the first victory for 
					Maserati at a major international race in 37 years. It is 
					estimated to fetch 1,200,000-1,400,000 euros. 
					Chief among the 
					highlights of the historic cars in the sale, is the 1958 
					Ferrari 412 S, #0744, which has an illustrious past in North 
					American racing, having been driven by giants such as Phil 
					Hill and Richie Ginther. It is a unique car with the most 
					powerful front engine offered by Ferrari at that time. This 
					is without doubt one of the greatest cars ever to be offered 
					for sale. It is estimated to fetch 7,000,000-10,000,000 
					euros. 
  
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