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Last Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider could top $26m at auction

One of the prettiest convertible Ferraris built, the NART Spider is also one of the rarest – only ten cars ever left the factory. This specific car was the last off the line, and has the additional distinction of being the only NART Spider sold new in Europe. It was also the only one painted in the Grigio Scuro shade of medium grey from factory. It has been redone in a tasteful red, which is an interesting change from the usual bright Ferrari color. It is also the third-to-last Ferrari 275 to be built altogether. The NART name stands for North American Racing Team, and the drop-top production run is credited to the U.S. Ferrari distributor Luigi Chinetti, who wanted to boost the 275 model's sales with a limited edition convertible model. Originally, Ferrari planned to build 25 cars, but despite the racing pedigree only ten found owners. The first NART Spider finished second in class at the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring, and the model also has some Steve McQueen cool about it due to a starring role in The Thomas Crown Affair. This car, chassis #11057, was sold new in Madrid to a Spanish Foreign Legion colonel, and spent its first 14 years in Spain. In the early 1980s it was bought by a Swiss collector, who had it restored for the first time, and in the mid-90s it moved to the UK. The current paint scheme dates back to 2001, while the interior's beige leather re-trim is from 2009. Despite a gradual change in appearance, it is a fully numbers-matching car that still retains the 300-horsepower Colombo V12 it received at the Maranello factory. A similar NART Spider was auctioned at RM Auctions' Monterey event in 2013, for a staggering $27.5 million. That specific example, finished in a brighter hue was estimated at 17 million tops, so it will be interesting to see whether this darker car will surpass its estimate at the auction held on May 14th. Related Video: Featured Gallery RM Sotheby's 1968 Ferrari 275 NART Spider View 16 Photos Image Credit: RM Sotheby's Auto News Ferrari Auctions Convertible Classics Steve McQueen RM Sotheby's ferrari 275

Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM sets Arizona auction record at $9.6 million [w/video]

We've seen some high-priced metal come up under the hammer in Arizona over the years, but the one you're looking at right here is the most expensive ever sold during the famous auction weekend. It's a Ferrari 250 Le Mans from 1964, the ninth of just 32 examples made. And RM Auctions just sold it for $9,625,000. That doesn't make it the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction, or even the top price paid for a 250 LM: according to figures from Sports Car Market, the same auction house has handled the top five highest-grossing 250 LMs of all time, including the 1965 Le Mans winner that sold in New York in 2013 for $14.3 million and another that sold last August in Monterey for $11.5 million. But it does make this example, according to RM, "the most valuable automobile sold in Arizona auction history." One of the earliest mid-engined Ferraris, the 250 LM was the last of Maranello's Le Mans winners. This particular example, chassis number 5899 GT, was sold by the factory to the famed Swiss racing team Scuderia Filipinetti, winning the Sierre-Montana Crans Hill Climb fresh out the box, followed immediately by another win at the XV Coppa Inter-Europa at Monza – both at the hands of Ferrari F1 and Le Mans drivers. After Filipinetti was done with it, 5899 GT was displayed at the Geneva Motor Show, was sold off the stand and changed hands a few more times – including one owner who oddly replaced the bodywork with that of a Porsche 906 Carrera 6 and another who swapped out the engine. It went on to win many more races, and was ultimately reunited with its original engine and proper bodywork. Restored several times over, 5899 GT was certified ten years ago by the Ferrari Classiche department and was even displayed at the factory museum in Maranello. The 250 LM wasn't the only noteworthy lot RM sold this weekend in the Frank Lloyd Wright Ballroom at the Arizona Biltmore, though. Several other Ferraris sold in the millions, from a '67 275 GTB/4 that sold for $3.6 million to a 2005 FXX Evoluzione for $1.6 million. The '71 Lamborghini Miura SVJ that was tipped to break the $2-million mark ultimately sold for under $1.9M, and the '84 Audi Sport Quattro ultimately dropped right in its estimate range at $401,500. All told, RM sold 90 percent of the metal it was consigned for the event, bringing in a whopping $63.7 million in sales. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.