Can a car crash ever be positive? Just ask collectors who seek the rare Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ, a lightweight racer that could also be road driven. In major European sports car races, the Alfa became known as a giant killer for its winning ways. It all started when a race driver had an older Alfa re-bodied by Zagato after a crash. Alfa Romeo like the result enough to commission 200 copies from the famous coachbuilder. Bonhams is offering one of those at its Amelia Island auction, with a pre-sale estimate of $350K-$400K. Meanwhile, Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island auction also has one of these rarities, also red, with an estimate up to $500K.
Ferrari draws on its heritage for design inspiration and, sometimes, model names. That’s why there were three different Ferrari GTO models over a half century period. While not intended as a racecar like the legendary 250 GTO and later 288 GTO before the 2011 599 GTO was developed from an experimental track car program, called 599 XX. Ferrari built just 599 of these later GTOs, with 125 coming to the U.S. Gooding & Company is offering one of these rare machines at its Amelia Island auction, with a pre-sale estimate of $800K-$1M.
The 1960-1962 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II may not have starred in a blockbuster movie about a mischievous Chicago high-schooler playing hooky, but it is nevertheless one of the brightest stars in the Ferrari universe. A bit more focused on touring comfort than its athletic California Spider sibling, the Series II Cabriolet was nearly as fast. Its Pininfarina-designed-and-built body easily draws admiring glances more than six decades later. Just 200 were built, and the RM Sotheby’s Phoenix, Arizona auction is offering one with a plethora of concours and show trophies. The pre-sale estimate is $1.5M-$1.75M.
Porsche last offered its blisteringly fast, track-optimized 911 GT2 RS for 2018-2019, selling about 1,100 in the U.S. It may not be the rarest modern 911 special model, but it remains among the most desirable by the automaker’s ardent collectors and track mavens. Typically optioned, the 911 GT2 RS easily exceeded its $294,000 base price. The 2024 Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona is offering a well-optioned 2019 Porsche 911 GT2 RS formerly owned by IndyCar champion Paul Tracy. Offered at no reserve, it will be going to the highest bidder in January.
Just 10 supercar connoisseurs were able to buy a McLaren 570 MSO-X, a special track-oriented model, in 2018. Each was decked out in livery inspired by McLaren F1 GTR racecars, and each is unique. At Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction in January, the #8 MSO-X will go to a new owner thanks to this auction company’s all no-reserve policy. McLaren built these cars as dual-purpose road and track machines, ready pile on the miles in either setting.
If you plan to be in New York City on November 13 and have easy access to about $60 million, why not take a chance bidding on a one-of-one Ferrari? The RM Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Art auction will offer a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that’s also known as the 330 LM. The car was built to suit a new race class at the time, which allowed replacing the 25 GTO’s 3.0-liter V12 with a more powerful 4.0-liter. Ferrari kept this special GTO for its own Scuderia Ferrari race team. Will this car surpass the reported $70 million a private collector paid for a 250 GTO in 2018? We shall see on November 13.
With the added perk of super-rarity, the Bentley Continentals of the Sixties remain among the most sought-after of the marque’s classic cars. Gooding & Company’s 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance® auction is offering a rare left-hand-drive 1961 Bentley S2 two-door saloon with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner that exemplified this model’s divergence from the parent company. It has a pre-sale estimate of $400K-$500K.
Auction season is running at full speed going into Monterey Car Week this August 11-20. (Yes, a 10-day week!) Five major auctions will take place there, drawing buyers and sellers from around the world. Plan to be there? Whether you’re looking for your next dream car or planning to sell one from your collection, it pays to be prepared. Premier Financial Services has put together a quick refresher course with insights from auction and sales pros offering advice on finding the car you want and bringing it home.
It’s good to be king, because then you can order yourself a custom-built car like the Maserati made for the Shah of Iran in 1959. The monarch and budding car collector requested that Maserati build a special car by installing the V-8 engine from its 450S racecar into the 3500 GT production coupe. The result was the 170-mph 5000 GT. Maserati made 34 with bodies by various coachbuilders. At its Amelia Island auction, Bonhams is offering one of the 22 with bodies by Allemano, a restoration candidate with a pre-sale estimate of $500K-$800K
