Cars

One man’s vision

Sifting through the evidence

In a massive coup for the British auction house, the consigned car (s/n 3851 GT) will be the first 250 GTO to be sold in the public domain for several years – and will astonishingly carry no reserve at the California sale. First sold to French racing driver Jo Schlesser, it was soon campaigned in the 1962 Tour de France, ultimately placing second. Three years later it was sold to Fabrizio Violati, who “saved the car from scrap and hid it from my parents – I only drove it at night so nobody would see me,” he recalled before his death in 2010.

Photos: Amy Shore for Goodwood

Regardless of automotive preference, the Festival has always showcased the laws of physics in the most awe-inspiring way – and Classic Driver types would no doubt have experienced a gravitational pull towards the Cartier Style et Luxe concours lawn. Here, there were perhaps fewer oddities in comparison to previous years (bar the curious Mazda RX500 concept and a few others), but plenty of beauties.

As hedge-betting gamblers, we’d immediately put half our stake on red – more specifically, the scarlet Bizzarrini 5300 Strada that serves as one of the headline lots at Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic auction.

As expected, the ex-Works Ferrari 375-Plus – campaigned in period at events such as the Mille Miglia and Le Mans – proved to be the highest-value lot. A masterclass in tactical bidding was seen along the way, with auctioneer Robert Brooks finally bringing the hammer down at £9.6m (£10.7m including fees) – the third-highest price for any car sold at auction.

Lord March and Sir Stirling in the Silver Arrows

Supercar shootout highlights