A rare
competition-bred 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France,
chassis number 1039 GT, and a multiple race-winning 1955
Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder, chassis number 0502
M, have been confirmed as star attractions for RM
Auctions’ annual Battersea sale, returning to Central
London next month.
Regarded as one of the
UK’s premier collector car auctions, the sale will
feature approximately 100 cars, picked by RM specialists
from 15 countries around the world.
“Over the past five
years, our London sale has established a reputation as a
‘must attend’ event on the global collector car
calendar. This year’s sale has all the ingredients to
continue the grand tradition: a fantastic roster of
motor cars, a great venue and the unparalleled client
service for which RM is known,” says Max Girardo,
Managing Director, RM Europe. “Our specialists have
worked hard and travelled to the four corners of the
world to select and assemble a magnificent collection of
motor cars and, in addition, a great assortment of
classic two wheelers for motorcycle enthusiasts. There
is truly something for all automotive tastes,” Girardo
adds.
Continuing the
company’s strong track record for offering important and
historic Ferraris at auction, the upcoming London sale
is highlighted by no less than 11 examples from the
Modenese Prancing Horse. Headlining the offering is a
rare, matching-numbers 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de
France, s/n 1039 GT, one of the most desirable
competition-bred Ferraris in existence. Powered by an
alloy block-and-head V-12 engine, 1039 GT is one of just
36 competition 250 GT LWB Berlinettas originally
produced by Ferrari with the single vent and desirable
covered headlamp configuration. Delivered new to
California in November 1958, 1039 GT boasts a
well-documented chain of ownership, having spent the
vast majority of its life in the United States and later
Switzerland. Beautifully-presented, it was restored by
marque experts in Italy in 2005 before being purchased
by its current owner in 2006. A matching-numbers,
Ferrari certified example, it remains one of the
marque’s most coveted models and is expected to garner
significant attention from collectors at the upcoming
sale. (Est. £2,000,000 - £2,400,000). “Truly rare,
superbly presented and capable of performance that
remains very impressive to this day, this 250 GT Tour de
France Berlinetta is steeped in Ferrari’s rich
competition legacy,” describes Girardo.
The 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Scaglietti
Spyder, chassis number 0502 M, is also expected to
attract significant interest from discerning collectors.
One of just 29 examples built, 0502 M was also delivered
new by the Ferrari factory to California, where it was
successfully campaigned in period by Ernie McAfee and,
later, by Masten Gregory and other luminaries.
Interestingly, it is the only example of a 750 Monza
constructed without a headrest and fairing, a feature
which gives the car a unique and highly appealing
aesthetic. In 2000, 0502 M was restored in Modena to
exact original specifications and later received its
Ferrari Classiche certification. An immensely desirable
early racing Ferrari, in recent years it has enjoyed
significant success on the showfield at concours events
throughout the United States and Europe (Est. £1,550,000
- £1,800,000). “With its superb combination of a great
provenance, well-documented history and Ferrari
certification, 0502 M remains one of the best examples
of its kind, eligible for every historic racing event,
tour or concours worldwide,” Girardo adds.
Other important
examples from the famed Italian marque up for bids
include: a Ferrari-certified 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast,
s/n 6659 SF, one of only eight Superfasts built in
right-hand drive (Est. £580,000 – £650,000); a long-nose
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy Berlinetta (Est. £640,000 -
£700,000); a unique 1980 Ferrari Pinin Prototipo, s/n
99788, the one and only four-door Ferrari ever built
(Est. £480,000 - £550,000); and, an excellent 1964
Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, s/n 5167 GT, offered for the first
time in over two decades (Est. £400,000 - £480,000).
Also set to cross the podium, a highly-equipped, custom
2001 Iveco Domino HDH Orlandi Scuderia Ferrari F1
Driver’s Coach, used by the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team
during the Schumacher / Barrichello years (Est. £200,000
- £300,000, offered without reserve).
In addition to the
Ferraris, Alfa-Romeo will also be well-represented at
the forthcoming London sale, with six examples featured
in the catalogue. Joining the previously announced 1972
Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/TT/3 is a competitive 1980 Alfa Romeo
Tipo 179 Formula One Monoposto, chassis 03, designed by
Autodelta boss Carlo Chiti as Alfa Romeo’s comeback
weapon following a long absence from Formula 1 and raced
by Bruno Giacomelli during the 1980 season (Est.
£110,000 - £150,000); and a stunning, highly-desirable
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 SS Berlinetta, one of only 39
berlinettas built and featuring iconic Zagato “double
bubble” coachwork (Est. £280,000 - £340,000).
Other Italian entries
will include a highly-original 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV,
featuring factory-fitted air conditioning and a limited
slip differential (Est. £750,000 – £900,000) and an ‘as
new’ 2005 Pagani Zonda C12 7.3 S Roadster (Est. £425,000
- £475,000).
