Bonhams’ annual Ferrari-focused sale at the Palace Hotel in Gstaad is now in its 11th year. While the December 20th auction is still two months away, some highlights have already been announced.
For starters, there’s the 1958 Ferrari 250 'Tour de France' aluminium competition berlinetta, chassis no. 0903 GT, with matching numbers and covered headlights. This is one of just 36 single-louvre 250 TdFs built and has spent most of its life in Sweden (although it did make a trip to the 1958 Reims 12 Hours). With its continuous history, and full restoration to concours standards using only the car's original parts (even its factory-stamped aluminium undertrays), this 250 TdF understandably carries an estimate of CHF 4-5 million.
Other Ferrari highlights at Gstaad will include two historically important competition Ferraris from the estate of the late Antoine Midy, the well-known French collector.
The first, the 1955 121 LM Spyder by Scaglietti, chassis no. 05581LM, has a particularly illustrious provenance. It was raced by the late Phil Hill in both the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours and the Venezuelan Grand Prix. The six-cylinder Ferrari 121 LM showed exceptional speed that year, outpacing the World Championship-winning Mercedes-Benz 300SLRs and the ‘Longnose’ Jaguar D-types. Eugenio Castellotti also raced the car in the 1955 Mille Miglia.
Chassis # 00558LM, piloted by Phil Hill at Le Mans in 1955.
© Ted Walker, Ferret Fotographics
The car’s distinguished career did not end here. In 1957, when ‘05581’ was in the long-term ownership of Luigi Chinetti in the USA, Carroll Shelby and John Kilborn drove it at Sebring and in the Cuban Grand Prix. In 1976, the Ferrari joined the Mas du Clos Collection of Pierre Bardinon before passing directly into the hands of Antoine Midy. In its later life, the car has taken part in some of the world’s top historic events, including the Mille Miglia retrospective and the Ferrari Maserati Shell Historic Challenge. It carries an estimate of CHF 4.7-6.6 million (£2.3-3.3m).
Chassis # 0094E arriving at Brescia, piloted by Piero Scotti on the 1951 Mille Miglia, where he finished third.
© Giorgio Nada Editore - Novafoto Sorlini Archive
The second of the Antoine Midy cars is chassis no. 0094E, the 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Spyder by Carrozzeria Motto. This car came 2nd in class and 3rd overall in the 1954 Mille Miglia, driven by Piero Scotti. It was then raced extensively by the Argentinean driver Roberto Bonomi. More recently, ‘094E’ took part in the 1980 Mille Miglia retrospective. Following Midy’s acquisition of the car, it competed in the Tour Auto and raced at Monaco. It is expected to sell for CHF 2.8-3.8 million (£1.35-1.85m).
Also announced for Gstaad are a 1955 250 GT Pinin Farina ‘Europa GT / Boano’ Coupe, chassis 0435 GT, to be offered at No Reserve (estimate CHF 560,000-650,000, or £280,000-320,000), and an ex-Tour Auto and Tour de Corse 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB Group IV Michelotto, one of only 11 produced (estimate CHF 900,000-1,000,000, or £450,000-500,000).
For more details on the Bonhams’ Gstaad Sale, see www.bonhams.com/cars.
Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: Simon Clay (TDF) / Ted Walker, Ferret Fotographics (121LM) / Giorgio Nada Editore - Novafoto Sorlini Archive (212)
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