Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Ferrari, UK

Practical considerations aside, cost no object, if you could have any car ever made, what would it be? We’d bet that a large proportion of you would be thinking of the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO. Unfortunately, cost is an object for the vast majority of us. And considering how the iconic GTO is one of the most valuable, most sought-after classic sportscars ever made, the overwhelming likelihood is that most of us - make that practically all of us - could never stand a chance of owning one.

It’s only natural, then, that there should be replicas made. Scratch that - “tributes.” But if you’re going to replicate a GTO, you’re not going to start with an old Firebird as your underpinnings. You’re going to start with another classic Ferrari. Just one not quite as valuable.

That’s what the owner in that other video did. And that’s what you’re looking at here. This 1965 Ferrari 250 GTO “Evocazione” started its life as a Ferrari 330 GT, and in 1993 was sent to Italy to have its chassis modified before being fitted with painstakingly handmade aluminum bodywork in the UK. Attention was paid to every detail, down to the gauges and Borrani wire wheels. And now it’s up for grabs, courtesy of newly inaugurated auction house Historics at Brooklands. Once it crosses the block there on September 25, it’s expected to fetch around

Filed under: Classics, Videos, Ford, Ferrari

Any racing fan nut, automotive enthusiast or classic car nut worth his driving mocs knows the story of the Ford GT40. In the early 1960s Ferrari was on a six-time winning streak at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s when Henry Ford II initiated proceedings to take over the Maranello sportscar-maker and racing team.

As the story goes, though, the notoriously intractable Enzo Ferrari didn’t like the terms and canceled the deal at the 11th hour. Ford was left holding his hat and out of spite commissioned the GT40 with the explicit aim of knocking his Italian counterpart off his high (prancing) horse. The result was that, with the GT40, Ford won Le Mans four times in a row.

Now the Ferrari 250 GTO wasn’t one of the cars that won at Le Mans during Ferrari’s six-year reign. It was busy winning other categories during the same period. But that’s alright, because the car in the video after the jump isn’t a real GTO anyway. It is a real Ferrari, though: a 365 GTB/4 Daytona rebodied to look like a GTO. And it’s not facing off against a GT40 either - that’s actually the modern tribute, the 2005 Ford GT.

Do either of those facts mitigate the sight of seeing these cars take to the mountain roads outside Malibu, California? Hardly. But don’t take our word for it, follow the jump to watch the video for yourself and see Matt Farrah of The Smoking Tire take the joyride of his life.

[Source: The Smoking Tire via RideLust]

Continue reading Video: Ferrari 250 GTO and Ford GT40 (sorta) reunited in Malibu

Video: Ferrari 250 GTO and Ford GT40 (sorta) reunited in Malibu originally appeared on Ferrari News on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Ferrari

Back in February we reported that RM Auctions was conducting a private treaty sale for a coveted 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO worth an estimated $16-20 million. This past week, the auction house announced that they had found a buyer for the car, but released limited details on the sale.

According to The Sun, however, the buyer is none other than British radio host Chris Evans, who also paid more than $10 million for a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder at an RM auction. The 250 GTO tops his previous purchase, though, at a reported

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Auctions, Ferrari

Very rarely does a Ferrari 250 GTO come up for sale, and if it does, you’ll probably never hear about it. Most sales are done behind closed doors, and the amount of said transactions are almost never disclosed to the public. That’s just part of the mystique behind the world’s most valuable car, and it’s partially why the cars are so coveted. Just 36 examples were built between 1962 and 1963, each still in existence and easily carrying an eight-figure price tag. A few years ago, a 250 GTO supposedly changed hands for nearly $30 million, but no one can completely confirm the rumor.

We will, however, have more details about the next sale of a 250 GTO. RM Auctions have announced that they will be doing a “private treaty sale” of 1963 250 GTO chassis #4675GT. The car has been in possession of its current Japanese owner, Yoshiho Matsuda, since 1996 (a low point for the value of the car compared to the high prices of the late 1980s), and it has an extensive racing history.

We saw the car at the Pebble Beach Concour d’Elegance back in 2004, and while its Series II bodywork isn’t quite as stunning as earlier models, it’s still an extraordinarily beautiful car. If you’ve got millions of dollars just sitting around, now is the time to break out the checkbook and buy your very own rolling piece of V12-powered Italian artwork. Hit the jump for the official press release from RM or click the high-res gallery below for a beautiful studio shot plus several of our photographs from our 2004 encounter with the car.

Non-Studio Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading Ultra-rare 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO up for sale by RM Auctions… will it set a record?

Ultra-rare 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO up for sale by RM Auctions… will it set a record? originally appeared on Ferrari News on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Few words have greater impact when mashed together than “Ferrari” and “GTO.” While there are rivals at times, the most expensive car in the word for the last three decades has been the original, Daytona Coupe battling, Le Mans winning Ferrari 250 GTO. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and raced into history by Phil Hill, few cars wear the moniker “legendary” quite as well. After all, only 39 were ever made.

But, like Leah, there is another. The mighty Ferrari 288 GTO. Developed — like Porsche’s 959 and 961 — for Group B action, few if any cars set our hearts so totally on fire. Know nothings might scoff at the 2.85-liter displacement, but those of us in the know will point to the two turbochargers, two intercoolers and 400 stampeding horses. We might even tell them that if they turned the boost pressure up from 11.6 psi to something a bit higher, 600 hp is well within reach. However, the 288 GTO isn’t, as just 272 examples (though some say 273) were made. Compare that to the 1,315 Ferrari F40s that were built. A car we should point out, that’s basically a 288 GTO with a body kit.