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This '61 Ferrari 250 GT SWB could be yours for eight figures

The 250 GT SWB Berlinetta ranks among the most desirable of Ferraris, and this one has been under the same ownership for the last 47 years. Now it's coming up for auction. Chassis No. 2917GT served as the Prancing Horse marque's centerpiece at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, where it was displayed in light blue. Its first owner, however, only owned black cars, so he had it repainted. It changed hands a few times over the years, and was repainted in classic red somewhere along the way. That's the color it remains today. Its current owner is described as a well-regarded collector living in the Brittany region of France and has reportedly taken exceptional care of it, driving it regularly and bringing in the best mechanics to service it. But after nearly half a century in his care, he's letting it go. Artcurial will be handling its sale during the Le Mans Classic on July 9. We're waiting on word regarding how much the auction house expects it to sell for, but the records at Sports Car Market have similar examples selling in the past couple of years for upwards of $10 million. Given the apparent condition of this particular specimen, we don't doubt that it'll fetch top dollar. THE EX-PARIS MOTOR SHOW 1961 FERRARI 250 GT SWB BERLINETTA IN SAME OWNERSHIP FOR 47 YEARS – LE MANS CLASSIC, SALE 9 JULY 2016 – Paris – Artcurial Motorcars has raised its international profile in recent years by offering some of the world's rarest and most valuable cars at auction. The top ten most expensive cars ever to sell at auction include two cars from each of Artcurial Motorcars' last two Retromobile sales: the ex-Bardinon 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti that sold on 5 February 2016 for 32.1Mˆ / 35.7M$ – a world record price (in ˆ and GBP) for a car sold at auction – and the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider from the Baillon Collection that fetched ˆ16.3M / 18.5M on 6 February 2015. Artcurial Motorcars is also known for consigning important cars that are new to the market, a key feature of the star car in the next sale at Le Mans Classic on 9 July. The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta #2917GT has been in the hands of the present owner some 47 years, and has had just five owners from new. This remarkable car was displayed new at the 1961 Paris Motor Show, presented in a light blue Azzuro.

Aston Martin may soon follow Ferrari with a London IPO

Aston Martin may soon be following Ferrari's lead, as Automotive News reports that people within the British automaker say it may soon consider an initial public offering. If it happens Aston Martin will likely list in London, not New York like Ferrari. While some in the industry were initially wary of Ferrari's move, the company is doing better than ever, with shares rising 62 percent since its IPO in 2015. An IPO could be a huge plus for Aston Martin. The company is looking to boost both sales and profit. Ferrari and Aston Martin sell similar vehicles at similar price points, but Ferrari has a much wider audience, even if most of those fans will never even sit inside one of its cars. That would likely be a big sticking point in estimating Aston Martin's value. It also moves half as many units as Ferrari per year. Aston Martin does have a new crossover on the horizon. Like Porsche, a crossover has the potential to more than double the automaker's sales. Even without it, fourth quarter profits in 2016 notably increased, fueled by solid sales of the new DB11. The IPO won't happen until sometime next year. The company wants to wait on a full 2017 earnings report. Related Video: News Source: Aston Martin Earnings/Financials Rumormill Aston Martin Ferrari stock

Mysterious Ferrari may be rumored Dino

At first glance, this Ferrari 458 looks innocuous, but several signs suggest the black coupe might actually be a test mule for a future revival of the Dino name. Unfortunately, one of the biggest hints to the car's identity is sonic rather than visual. According to our spies, the engine doesn't sound like company's naturally aspirated V8 or the turbocharged mill in the new 488 GTB. That suggests the possibility of a V6 being mounted behind the driver here. The lack of exhaust pipes poking out the rear further hints that something is amiss with the powerplant. The large intakes on each side should be plenty to feed cool air to the Dino's rumored twin-turbo V6, as well. A version of the 510-horsepower mill from the new Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is possibly in this Prancing Horse, but FCA execs are very cagey about discussing any connection between that engine and Ferrari. According to FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne about the revived Dino, "It's a when not an if." Marchionne indicated the model could pack around 500 hp and be lighter than a 488. "The six-cylinder response has been positive," he said. The smaller displacement powerplant would also mean lower taxes in China. The Dino would reportedly be positioned to take on the entry-level rung of supercars like the Audi R8 and McLaren 570S. Unfortunately, an actual launch could be as far away as 2019. So expect to see many more spy shots until then. Related Video: