HomeMediaOne of world’s rarest competition Ferraris headed to RM auction in Monterey

One of world’s rarest competition Ferraris headed to RM auction in Monterey

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The Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale is one of just three competition prototypes built | Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions
The Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale is one of just three competition prototypes built | Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions

An astoundingly rare and valuable 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale, one of just three prototypes built, has been announced by RM Auctions as the marquee car for its Monterey sale in August.

The competition coupe goes to the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance week amid a flurry of auction announcements for incredible, historic Ferrari race cars, including a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – one of the most valuable cars in the world – offered by Bonhams.

According to RM, the 275 GTB/C has the potential to equal the sale of the GTO, either of which could become the highest-priced vehicle ever sold at auction when it goes over the block. The last private sale of a 250 GTO was reportedly for an amount approaching $60 million.

The high-performance coupe was originally used as a road car | Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions
The high-performance coupe was originally used as a road car | Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions

“(Chassis) 06701’s almost unbelievable rarity and high performance are matched only by its stunning good looks,” Shelby Myers, senior specialist for RM said in a news release. “Simply put, this is one of the most important Ferraris in the world, and absolutely one of the most important motor cars ever to come to auction.

“These cars were a clear evolution of the GTO concept, one of which set a record at Le Mans that stands to this day. 06701’s two sister cars are in highly respected private collections, from which they will certainly not emerge in the near future. This sale is unquestionably an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The 275 GTB/C Speciale was the descendant of the GTO, updated with independent rear suspension and transaxle gearbox, and designed to continue Ferrari’s reign in the GT class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which the ferocious GTO had dominated three years in a row.

Power comes from a 3.3-liter V12 with six Weber carbs | Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions
Power comes from a 3.3-liter V12 with six Weber carbs | Darin Schnabel/RM Auctions

This 275 GTB/C was the first of the three Berlinetta Competizione cars built by Ferrari specifically for FIA homologation and factory development. Each of them was a unique, hand-built car with lightweight aluminum body and powered by a 213/Comp dry-sump V12 engine topped by a six-pack of Weber carburetors.

A homologation dispute with the FIA, the Le Mans ruling body, kept the Ferraris out of the GT class for the 1965 season, although a compromise was finally reached that permitted one of the GTB/Cs to compete in the Le Mans endurance race. That car, chassis 06885, proved the tremendous potential of the 275 GTB/C, not only winning the GT class but coming in third overall, setting a record for the best finish of a front-engine car that has stood ever since.

Chassis 06701 was originally sold to Italian businessman Pietro Ferraro, who used it exclusively as a road car with full factory bumpers. It has gone through several other European owners, including one who kept it for 25 years. Repainted red, the car was owned by Brandon Wang when he loaned it to Derek Hill and his father, 1961 Formula One World Champion Phil Hill, to use in the 1997 Tour Auto.

Wang had 06701 restored after the event and returned to its original color scheme of two-tone silver and gray. The Ferrari’s current owner has displayed the car at a number of events and competed in historic racing, including the 2005 Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca.

The RM sale in downtown Monterey takes place August 15-16, with the Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale slated for offer on Saturday, August 16, as the crowning highlight of the 120-car auction.

“It is a model so attractive, so fast, so rare, and so superior in every respect that it may rightfully be considered one of the most important cars in the world,” RM said it its news release.

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

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