On Tuesday, June 28, Sotheby’s will be conducting an unprecedented sale dedicated to Italy’s finest sports cars. The auction of Ferrari and Maserati models spanning seven decades will be unique for many reasons, not least because it will be held on the hallowed ground of the prancing horse headquarters at Maranello, where everything from the 1958 412S to the Formula One F2004 have been built and tested.

Sotheby’s is the only auction house ever to hold a sale supported by Ferrari. The event will also be a first in that every vehicle will be sold with the full authentication from Ferrari’s factory engineers. Months of painstaking research has gone into ensuring that all the cars are genuine and correct in every detail, thereby eliminating the pitfalls often associated with buying the rarest and finest examples of the Ferrari and Maserati marques.

Highlights of the Sale

The sale will present a selection of the most desirable and important Ferraris and Maseratis. Among them is the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI, (top), which was the last front engine Ferrari to win the Le Mans 24 Hours, and which was in the Bardinon collection for 30 years. Estimate available on request. The beautiful 4-cylinder 1955 750 Monza, a model that contributed to the victory in that championship, is estimated at 1,200,000-1,300,000 EUROS, and the 1961 250 GT "lusso", by common consent one of the most beautiful road-going Ferraris, is estimated at 800,000-1,200,000 EUROS. The 400th Ferrari Enzo built, is also included in the sale, being offered by Ferrari to benefit the Tsunami appeal. It is estimated at 1,000,000-1,100,000 EUROS.

The sale will be highlighted by the Formula One F2004, chassis number 234, in which Schumacher won the Australian, Malaysian, Bahrain, Imola and Spanish races. When the Formula One F2004 appears at auction in June, it will be the first time that Ferrari has offered a Formula One car from the past season. Estimate available on request.

Maserati entries include a superb 5000 GT, considered the most important Maserati road car. With a beautiful body by Touring and fitted with a 450 S racing engine, it is estimated at 650,000-750,000 EUROS. Also a fine example of the legendary 4CL racing car of the forties, which is estimated to fetch 400,000-550,000 EUROS.

The sale will also include the Maserati MC12 factory car, chassis number 071, a two-seater long-tail coupé-spider with a long wheel base (2800 mm). It has a typical racing set-up with a removable hard top, powered by a naturally aspirated 12-cylinder 65° V engine that displaces 5998 cc and punches out 465 kW at 7500 rpm. Highly advanced composites and alloys have enhanced its structural rigidity and kept its overall weight to a minimum. This particular model won the 2004 FIA GT championship race at Oschersleben, the first victory for Maserati at a major international race in 37 years. It is estimated to fetch 1,200,000-1,400,000 EUROS.



Chief among the highlights of the historic cars in the sale, is the 1958 Ferrari 412 S, #0744 (above), which has an illustrious past in North American racing, having been driven by giants such as Phil Hill and Richie Ginther. It is a unique car with the most powerful front engine offered by Ferrari at that time. This is without doubt one of the greatest cars ever to be offered for sale. It is estimated to fetch 7,000,000-10,000,000 EUROS.

The catalogue for the sale will be available from mid-May and its pages will bring together some of the most historic sports cars ever built.

Viewing

There will be pre-sale viewing at the Fiorano Circuit in Maranello, Italy from June 25th - 26th Admission by catalogue only

For further details visit www.sothebys.com/ferrariauction

Story/Photos: Sotheby's - Strictly Copyright