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Ferrari Classiche gives 250 GT a new lease on life [w/video]

There are plenty of workshops filled with skilled craftsman who'd be glad to restore a classic Ferrari. But many are opting to sending their vintage Prancing Horses back to the factory in Maranello to be worked over by the company's own Classiche department. Like this Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, for example. The car was delivered new to Scuderia driver Dorino Serefani, who rarely drove it and sold it in 1964 to a Frenchman who crashed it. He in turn sold it to a Belgian who brought it back to life, repainted it dark blue and gave it a black interior. Another former F1 driver Jacques Pollet bought it next and repainted it in gray, before another Belgian owner bought it in 1984 and had it resprayed yellow in 1992. That's a lot of color changes over the years, but its next owner had yet another livery in mind. He took to Ferrari Classiche in March of last year and had it brought up to spec, this time selecting a Pininfarina gray with a brown interior. The restoration process took 14 months and involved restoring the engine, bodywork, suspension, and rolling stock. Now after more than a year of work, the process is complete and the owner has retaken delivery of the classic Cavallino just the way he wanted it This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. A new lease of life for a 250 GT SWB An extensive 14-month restoration Maranello, 2 December – 14 months of meticulous work – that's how long it took the Ferrari Classiche Department to restore the engine, bodywork, suspensions and running gear of a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione to pristine condition. The car arrived in Maranello in March 2014 and work began in the summer of the same year, only finishing last week when it was returned to its delighted owner. Famous names. According to the few documents available, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione's first owner was Dorino Serafini, a GT and Formula 1 driver who also delivered a podium position in the 1950 Italian Grand Prix for the Scuderia Ferrari. However, he rarely used this particular car, except in fairly low profile races. In 1964, the 250 GT SWB was purchased by Frenchman Rene Richard. Unfortunately, he crashed it and then sold it on to the Belgian driver Lucien Bianchi who was a brilliant mechanic. After it was repaired, the car was given a dark blue livery with a black interior.

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

Would you pay $2 million for a Ferrari F50? [w/video]

The F50 may not have been the finest of Ferrari's flagship supercars, but it remains a collector's commodity just the same – and its value keeps rising. F50s are already trading hands at upwards of $1 million apiece – and this year, at least one is expected to fetch upwards of $2.5 million. Ferrari launched the F50 in 1995 as the successor to the legendary F40 that came before. It eschewed the twin-turbo V8 that powered the 288 GTO and F40 for a naturally aspirated V12, setting the stage for the Enzo and LaFerrari that followed in the series. That high-revving 4.7-liter engine, according to Ferrari, was derived from the unit used in the actual F1 car from 1989 (known as the F1-89, naturally). This engine served as a stressed member of the chassis, mounted behind a carbon-fiber tub. With its removable hardtop, the F50 remains the only model in Maranello's flagship series (excluding the Enzo-based Maserati MC12) that offered an open cockpit. It was all very F1-like, but was barely any faster (if at all) than its iconic predecessor. Only 349 F50s were made, each carrying a half-million-dollar price tag. That would be a good $750k in today's money. Still, it is part of a highly collectible series. Only 349 were made, each carrying a half-million-dollar price tag that seemed astronomic at the time in the mid-'90s. That'd be about $750k in today's money, but it's still a far cry from what they're trading at these days. Last year alone, RM Sotheby's sold two F50s at auction: one in May at Villa d'Este for just under $1.4 million, and another at Pebble Beach (as part of the Pinnacle Portfolio) for nearly $2m. This compared to just a few years ago when they were selling for six figures, not seven, prior to 2013. At this early point in the year, two major auction houses have already announced consignments of F50s. RM has one (pictured above) on the docket that's estimated to sell for a good $1.5m. It's sure to be one of the top sellers in a couple of weeks at its sale in Paris during the Salon Retromobile (where Artcurial has another Ferrari for sale at over $30m). Gooding & Company has one lined up as part of the Tony Shooshani Collection. That example (depicted in the video below) was displayed at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show and was owned by Jacques Swaters (of Ecurie Francorchamps fame). It has only 1,100 miles on the odometer and is expected to fetch between $2.5m and $2.9m, which would set a new record for the model.