A Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta is expected to become the most valuable car ever sold at auction, as Bonhams presents the stunning Maranello Rosso Ferrari collection at this year's Quail Lodge sale on August 14-15.
 Every time a GTO comes up for sale, another record falls |
Another Ferrari 250 GTO holds the record for the most valuable car ever sold, making $52m in a private sale in October 2013.
The current model - chassis number 3851 GT - would need to top $29.6m to exceed the auction record, held by Juan Fangio's Mercedes W196 that sold at Bonhams' Goodwood sale in June 2013.
However, Bonhams has made the sale even more enticing by offering the 3851 GT without reserve.
The Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta is, without doubt, the most desirable car in the world. With just 33 normal models of the car produced between 1962 and 1963, demand has always outstripped supply and their prices are considered a bellwether for the classic car markets - akin to a "blue chip" stock.
This example is further enhanced by its remarkable ownership history, having belonged to the same family for 49 years from 1965-2014.
Prior to this, it enjoyed a short-lived racing career, finishing second in the 1962 Tour de France before crashing and returning to the Ferrari factory for repairs.
It was then campaigned in both 1963 and 1964, eventually passing to the young Fabrizio Violati, who would go on to become one of the most renowned collectors of Ferrari.
He recalled: "I saved the car from scrap and hid it from my parents. I only drove it at night so nobody would see me".
Violati raced the car at historic events for more than 40 years. His collection forms the contents of the Maranello Rosso Museum, with 10 important cars to be featured in the Bonhams sale.
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