The 1962 Ferrari GTO, considered the ultimate Ferrari to own, crossed the auction block at Monterey for $38,115,000 before premiums. Add to that a buyer’s premium of 20%, and you have a final bill for the buyer of $45,738,000. Let’s put this into perspective: A buyer just forked well over five million dollars more than the national GDP of Tuvalu for a Ferrari.
That’s no joke, not at all. This GTO, chassis 3851GT, is one of the original 35 3-litre GTO’s made, which only 31 still exist. Early estimates were expecting the Ferrari to fetch anywhere between $50 million and $70 million.
Fabrizio Violati
3851GT has had a storied career, first being a rally car for Jo Schlesser, then, following a crash that killed Schlesser’s co-driver Henri Oreillier, was returned to Ferrari for a rebuild and resale. The car was next owned by Paolo Colombo, who won numerous hill climb events. In 1964 Ernesto Prinoth took ownership of the car and used it for hill climbs and circuit racing. In September Prinoth rolled the car at Monza, requiring a second repair.
The car was sold to Fabrizio Violati who street-registered the car for the first time in 1965. Violati was known to run the car at events just for the fun of it, and soon got the eye of Il Commendatore himself, Enzo Ferrari., in 1984. Ferrari pretty much ordered Violati to create the Ferrari Club Italia. Over the years, Violati and Enzo developed strong respect for each other, so much so that when Violati opened his Ferrari collection up to the public in 1989, Ferrari allowed him to use the title Collezione Maranello Rosso. 3851GT would come out for Historic events every once in a while until Violati passed on in early 2010.
majestic things draws many prindals with there magnetic pulse.
Gosh! Just effin’ shoot me.
How can an agglomeration of metal and plastic, no matter what shape it is formed into, be worth that kinda bucks?
Some people and their discretionary cash…
This has to be a demonstration of the “mine’s bigger than yours” syndrome.
Quite the contrary. The buyer’s is teeny-tiny. That’s why he compensates by spending a ridiculous amount of money.
No thanks, I’ll just put around in my beat up 66 Nissan Patrol.
Every collecting hobby has a zenith. The ultimate. In the case of car collecting, it happens to be the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Based on the price estimations before the actual sale, I guess the buyer got a deal right . . . estimated to sell for between $50 and $70 million. He paid only $38 million.
It isn’t a case of what people think the car is worth. It’s what those people that want one and can afford one think it’s worth. That gets lost here at BangShift ALL THE TIME.