There’s a new listing on the RM Sotheby’s website that caught our eye this morning, in the form of a stunning example of the Ferrari 250 GTO that we’d expect will smash the current USD $48.4 million record price for another GTO set at auction.
The Ferrari in question is one of just 34 250 GTO’s to receive the Tipo 1962 coachwork treatment, and while most 250 GTO’s came packing a 3.0-litre V12, this one was initially powered by a 4.0-litre V12.
It was meticulously maintained by Ferrari itself, used by the Scuderia as a racer at the 1962 Nürburgring 1000km, where it finished with an overall second place, and then took on the 24 Hours of Le Mans where it overheated mid-race.
It remains the only GTO Tipo 1962 raced and operated by Scuderia Ferrari, and was driven by Mike Parkes and Lorenzo Bandini at the ‘62 24 Hours of Le Mans.
After its short tint racing, the 250 GTO in question was retired, with Ferrari installing its 3.0-litre V12 underneath that beautiful bodywork and selling it to a private buyer.
It eventually came into the hands of a collector in Ohio back in 1985, where it has remained their pride-and-joy, taking out a number of prestigious events like the 2011 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, who has now handed it over to RM Sotheby’s in what we expect to be a record-setting auction next month.
The combination of the 250 GTO’s race-bred chassis number of 3765, combined with its unique history of factory engine swaps up to a 4.0-litre V12 and back and, of course, the legendary Tipo 1962 coachwork makes it incredibly desirable to collectors and Ferrari enthusiasts alike.
Included in the sale are original documents from the Ferrari factory and even notes from the Scuderia race team ahead of its race appearances at the Nürburgring and Le Mans.
We’ll know for sure whether or not this Ferrari sets a new record for a car sold at auction when the hammer falls in New York City on the 13th of November.
For those with a good memory, you might remember another 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for $38 million back in 2014, smashing the previous record held by a Mercedes-Benz W196 R F1 racer.
