$10 Million Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta to Cross Auction Block at Monterey Car Week
It’s the precursor to the mighty 250 GTO and one of only 40 in existence.
With the first Ford GT40 to win Le Mans, a Porsche 908 K, a $48 million Ferrari 250 GTO, and enough other remarkable cars to fill a parking garage, last year's RM Sotheby's Monterey auction was one for the history books. Topping such an extraordinary auction seems impossible, but Sotheby's is already hard at work making this year's edition a close competitor. One of the first of an assuredly long list of significant lots announced for the 2019 Monterey Sale is a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, offered without reserve and expected to fetch between $8 million and $10 million.
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB was a significant step towards the creation of the legendary 250 GTO, but it was an adept racer on its own. As the name suggests, the car features a short wheelbase which, when paired with the car's lightweight design and high-horsepower motor, made it a force to be reckoned with on the track. Indeed, the car won Ferrari a GT class Constructors’ Championship in 1961 as well as the Tour de France three times in a row.
This particular car, chassis No. 3359 GT, has had a long and lavish life, first in the hands of numerous Italian owners as well as British, American, and European collectors. It partook in multiple vintage racing events from the 1970s to the 1990s, before retiring and receiving a restoration in 2010. It was given its Ferrari Classiche Certification soon after, confirming the car's authenticity, matching numbers, and historical significance in Ferrari's lineup. The car was also awarded high honors at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy.
In addition, this is one of just 40 steel-bodied SWBs in existence, and one of the last cars built in the variation's production run. It sports a Grigio Argento gray exterior with Red Connolly Vaumol leather interior, Tipo 168/61 V12 motor, and a four-speed manual transmission. The car is featured in a video below.
"The 250 SWB is considered by many Ferraristi as one of the finest designs to ever come out of Maranello. Couple that with the fact that they are extremely well-balanced and have plenty of power on tap and they represent the epitome of 1960s Italian motoring," said Shelby Myers, car specialist and global head of private sales at RM Sotheby’s. "Chassis 3359 GT definitely has all the right criteria serious collectors should be looking for, as it is matching-numbers, Ferrari Classiche certified, brilliantly restored, and finished in one of the most attractive original color combinations."
Chassis 3359 will cross the auction block during RM Sotheby's three day auction that takes place during Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and runs Aug. 15-17. Since this is one of the first listings RM Sotheby's has announced for the sale, make sure to keep an eye out for other lust-worthy automobiles up for grabs this August.
