Ouch! That’s gonna leave a mark – on the bank account.
Vintage racing in Europe seems a lot more aggressive than what happens on tracks in the U.S. In the Video of the Day we have an enormously valuable 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO/64 being flogged hard during qualifying at the Goodwood Revival in England, when things go horribly awry.
While passing a Corvette, the GTO gets cut off by another valuable Ferrari, a 250 LM, and has to make an evasive maneuver, goes off the asphalt and winds up skidding uncontrollable across the grass border. The driver is just along for the ride when the GTO, still carrying plenty of speed, smacks the tire wall on its right side.
As the Ferrari limps away across the infield – the guy inside the right-hand-drive car apparently uninjured – the extensive damage can be seen from nose to tail, entirely crushed in.
“Quite expensive, I’m afraid,” the announcer comments in typically understated British style.
Well, considering that a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold recently at auction for $48.4 million, and one reportedly sold privately for as much as $77 million, this should be an expensive shunt indeed.
Still, it’s pretty wonderful seeing the historic race car out where it belongs, being driven in competition instead of mothballed in a private collection or museum. And I’d venture to say that if the owner could afford to purchase such a thing in the first place, then the lofty price of hand-crafted bodywork should be relatively affordable.
Nice write-up, Bob. That is competitive vintage racing indeed.
I think he says “quite extensive” not “expensive.”
Looks like the guy in front of him pulled a richard move to cause the accident……
One more car that will not be original anymore ! Racing these wonderfull cars like if they were built last month is completly stupid. Make them running OK, but race them no. Whatever is your money level, you are just renters of these cars and you should die letting them in the same condition as you got them. Yes the owner has probably the money to fix it but his money just give him the right to own it not to destroy it. Or if he can buy the Joconde, you are telling me that he has the right to draw mustachs with a marker on this painting !
The owner can do whatever they want, it’s their car! Who cares if it’s original, it’s a freaking race car… race it!
Jacky ! Obviously you are not an owner of any collector vehicle. The mantra of 99% of such owners is to drive or race as the vehicle was designed & intended to do. As this 1964 GTO is 1 of the 36 GTO’s produced, it is VERY doubtful that this actual car has more than 90-95% of it’s original aluminum skin. During the in-period racing it is very likely more than one shunt occurred, requiring replacement of at least a small portion of the skin, and probably a few steel supports holding up that aluminum.
That’s probably he same for 95% of any type of racecar. Older racecars often compete in many vintage race events, and the likelihood of more unfortunate damage is a expected possibility.
The Mona Lisa you mentioned has only one purpose in it’s life, that being a static display that people can gaze at it hanging on a wall. Collector cars are much more versatile. You can gaze at them sitting still, watch them fly by at speed, hear the engines scream, take someone for a ride, drive it yourself, and
be able to work on it yourself. The Mona Lisa only allows you the first, gazing at the masterpiece.
That car is a fake Ferrari 250 by the way!
This is how race cars should be driven regardless how much they are worth. We see F1 cars and prototype racers that are insanely expensive crash all the time and we don’t care.
It seems very interesting. Thanks for sharing this.