Beauty and brawn, the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular race cars ever created. With exquisite styling by Pininfarina and coachwork by Scaglietti, the aluminum-bodied sports racer is stunning in appearance and performance.
Only 45 of the competition-lightweight Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinettas were built, and this one, Chassis No. 1953, will star at RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba auction to be held May 23 during the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy.
The 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione is “regarded by many as the greatest of all the classic sports racing GT cars of the 1960s,” RM Sotheby’s says in a news release. This car could go stratospheric in bidding to become one of the auction highlights of 2015.
The Hagerty Price Guide provides a listing for the “1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB 2dr Alloy Coupe,” with the average value at $14 million and a top value for an excellent car set at $16 million. This rare competizione car could go well beyond that as values for vintage Ferrari race cars continue to soar.
Chassis 1953 was never raced in period but instead was purchased new by a doctor in Florence, Italy, to use as a road car. The car was sold to a California buyer in 1972 and subsequently was owned by several other U.S. enthusiasts. It was fully restored in the early 1990s and shown in concours until being purchased by a Japanese collector who kept it for the next 10 years.
The current owner bought the Ferrari in 2011 and had it freshened and prepared for vintage racing, taking part in such British and European events as the Silverstone Classic, the Donington Historic Festival, Goodwood Revival, Goodwood Member’s Meeting and the Spa Classic Historic Races.
The 250 GT is powered by the 280-horsepower 3.0-liter Columbo V12 engine and features the factory-equipped four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes.
“There are a handful of truly iconic cars that auction houses highly desire to bring to market, and the Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta is one of them,” Max Girardo, managing director of RM Sotheby’s Europe, said in the news release. “This car is unique for not having been raced in period, but that is something which has really contributed to the preservation and integrity of its original chassis and aluminum bodywork.
“This will undoubtedly be one of the major cars to be offered at any auction during 2015.”
The Villa Erba auction, the third sale held under the new partnership of Canadian-based RM Auctions and Sotheby’s of London, is a boutique event offering 40 top-drawer collector cars. For information, see Villa Erba auction.
