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FERRARI 250 LWB CALIFORNIA SPIDER COMPETIZIONE

Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, set new world records over the weekend for historic Alfa Romeo and Ferrari racing cars, with an Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza fetching $6,710,000 and a Ferrari 250 GT LWD California Spider Competizione topping the bill at $7,260,000, a new record price for a LWB California Spider. Four of the top-ten highest prices paid out over the weekend were for historically significant Ferrari models, while the beautiful Alfa Monza, as well as a Maserati 200 SI which fetched $2,640,000, made it six Italian sports cars amongst the top-ten.

This particular Ferrari 250 GT LWD California Spider Competizione, Lot No 46, was significantly the only LWB California to be fitted with an alloy body, covered headlights, disc brakes, Tipo 168 competition engine, outside filler, velocity stacks and long range fuel tank. It was raced with Success at Nassau, Sebring and Road America in its competition heyday. Its initial restoration was carried out by Wayne Obrey’s Motion Products and it was recently finished in its original 1959 racing livery. The car, with a estimated 280 bhp power output at 7,000 rpm from its 2,953cc SOHC Type 168 V12 engine fitted with three Weber 40 DCL 6 carburetors has also been authenticated and certificated by the Ferrari Classiche department in Maranello and documented by Ferrari Historian Marcel Massini. Arguably it is the most significant LWB California in the world today.

Meanwhile the second highest price paid during the weekend's auctions was for a stunning 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza which fetched a world record price of $6,710,000. This evocative car, probably the real pick of the whole auction line-up, is a genuine factory-built third-series Monza with an unbroken ownership history from new, impressive pre- and post-war competition history, a competitive participant at virtually every historic venue and also documented in Simon Moore’s Definitive The Legendary 2.3; with its supercharged 2,866cc in-line 8-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed gearbox, it is certainly it is one of the most significant pre-war sports racing cars.

The third highest price was paid for Lot 133, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta SEFAC Hot Rod, which had reached $6,105,000 by the time the hammer fell making it the third and final car at the auction to break through the $6 million barrier. The rest of the top-ten highest prices over the weekend went to: Lot 127 - 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster at $3,740,000; Lot 146 - 1995 McLaren F1 at $3,575,000; Lot 138 - 1956 Maserati 200SI at $2,640,000; Lot 19 - 1951 Ferrari 340 America Spider at $2,530,000; Lot 122 - 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sport Cabriolet A at $2,145,000; Lot 57 - 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Speciale at $1,870,000 and Lot 54 - 1966 Ford GT40 Mk I at $1,650,000.

In total $64.59 million in collector cars were sold by Gooding & Co. over the weekend achieving its highest-ever recorded sales total in its Pebble Beach history. Extraordinary results for the high-end collector car market and with 106 lots sold, Gooding & Company's price per car averaged an outstanding $609,000, a market leading number that demonstrates the overall quality of the auction house's automotive consignments. "We went into this year's Pebble Beach Auctions with high expectations because of the sheer number of extraordinary cars we had consigned," says David Gooding, President and founder of Gooding & Company. "In addition to a packed auction tent brimming with new guests and enthusiasts from around the world, our highest-ever Pebble Beach weekend results at $64.59 million speak for themselves and I couldn't be happier."