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Ferrari Classiche returned this 275 GTB Competizione to million-dollar form

When this 275 GTB Competizione rolled into the hands of Ferrari Classiche, it was all out of sorts. Like so many of its brethren, it wore a red overcoat, but Giallo Fly yellow was its original color. The air intakes were mismatching lengths, the front suspension had an extra shock, certain areas of the bodywork were reshaped, and several other parts had been swapped throughout its adventurous life. With time and meticulous attention to detail, however, Classiche brought the GTB/C back up to Ferrari factory standards. Ferrari does not give an exact year of when it reattained chassis No. 09027, only saying it happened a few years after the car was sold at a 2004 Bonham's auction in Monte Carlo. Before that, it lived quite the tumultuous life. It left the factory on June 14, 1966, and four days later, it placed second in its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pierre Noblet and Claude Dubois drove the No. 57 car for the Francorchamps team and finished 10th overall. According to Ferrari, the racing team made numerous on-the-fly adjustments, including cooling aero and fog lights, to make it properly race-ready. It later won the Mont Ventoux hillclimb, but was damaged during the Marathon de la Route race at the Nurburgring. The car returned to Maranello, and Carrozzeria Scaglietti, who originally built the car, fixed it up before it was sold to amateur racer Patrick McNally in 1967. McNally, after changing the car to silver, wrecked at the 1,000 km of Montlhery. Again, it was fixed, this time by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. in the UK, and was painted red. Ferrari says the car bounced from owner to owner before it was sold at Monte Carlo. In addition to the previously mentioned issues, the Ferrari faced unoriginal parts that included the oil recovery tank, front brake discs, petrol tank, exhaust system, wheels, tires, steering wheel, and much of the interior. For some reason, the identification plaque had even been changed, but the important original pieces were there: the chassis and the engine. Today, the car is back to tip-top shape and more valuable than ever. Back in 2015, a Barrett-Jackson auction saw a 1966 Ferrari GTB Competizione sell for $9.4 million. We have a feeling Ferrari will keep this one, though. See full photos in The Official Ferrari Magazine. News Source: The Official Ferrari Magazine Auto News Ferrari Automotive History Coupe Performance Classics

Car designer Frank Stephenson wants to show you something ... smaller

Influential car designer Frank Stephenson has often thought small. Now he’s thinking smaller. Throughout the past three decades, he has shaped — literally — some of the most indelible designs in automotive history: the modern Mini, the Ferrari FXX track star, the Maserati Gran Sport, a range of stunning McLarens and down to the funky 21st-century version of the Fiat 500. Now heÂ’s turned his pen to fashioning watches. His Cosmos analog piece, made to mirror “a black hole in space” and detailed “with an orange pinstripe which simulates the supernova glow of a neutron star,” features a Japan-built quartz movement and was created in concert with the Time Concepts company. “ItÂ’s the age-old adage ‘car people are watch people,Â’ so it was a natural step for me to get creative with timepieces too,” Stephenson said in a statement. “The collection showcases the love I have for exceptional and emotionally charged design, just like what is required in designing world class cars.” While Stephenson, who is 64, may be best known publicly for his vision of “affordable style” with the Mini and the Fiat, his ethos also translated to the utilitarian. In the case of BMW in the mid-1990s, the company was hustling to market an SUV, and turned to him for inspiration. His team had six months to complete the project. The result was the high-end X5, which Stephenson sketched during a two-hour flight. In 2018, Stephenson established the independent design company, Frank Stephenson Design, based in London. Related video: Design/Style BMW Ferrari Fiat Maserati McLaren MINI Gadgets watch frank stephenson

Mike Tyson's 1995 Ferrari F50 packs one helluva punch

Despite a reputation as a bit of a letdown following the now legendary Ferrari F40, the Ferrari F50 is still one of the most raw and unfettered sports cars to ever grace public roads. RM Sotheby's auctions is now selling a pristine 5,694-mile example that was once owned by former professional boxer Mike Tyson. Like Tyson, the F50 and its Formula One derived V12 is sure to leave a lasting impact on anyone that crosses its path. Though the celebrity tax varies from car to car, Hagerty's valuation tool says even a heavily used F50 is still a million-plus dollar car. RM Sotheby's expects the car to sell for between $2.2 and $2.4 million, slightly more than the $2.25 million estimate for a nearly flawless example, which this car appears to be. According to the listing, the car has never been driven hard and has been well maintained throughout its life. The 1990s weren't Ferrari's best years for design with soft edges and questionable fascias. Likewise, the F50 is a love it or hate it sort of design. The paint appears to be in good condition and free of any damage. The bare carbon fiber and leather interior shows little to no wear. The gated manual shifter connected to a 4.7-liter naturally-aspirated 520 horsepower V12 is a combo that's gone out of vogue. The engine is derived from the one that powered the Alain Prost's 1990 Ferrari 641 Formula One car. This car is number 73 out of 349 and one of only 50 built to US spec. Tyson sold the car with roughly 4,900 miles, with the rest accumulating since about 2005. The car's service records are incomplete, though it has had an a couple of engine-out services along a full electronic updates, a new rear seal, rebuilt oil and water pumps, the dashboard pod removed, serviced, and reinstalled, the lighting system upgraded, the ride height actuator replaced, new tires, new fuel bladders, a full brake system service, and new main seals. In addition, the car comes with two sets of tools in the front deck, owner's manuals and warranty booklet in their leather folio, wheel socket, car cover in bag, both the removable hardtop and emergency soft top with bag, utility light, its window sticker, and the "circus trunk" containing roll bars, and a carbon rear tonneau cover. Look for the car to head across the auction block on Saturday March 11. No Internet bidding, but if you have the cash to pony up the you probably can afford to be there in person. Related Video: