Imagine the pervading sense of joy and satisfaction you would experience knowing that, somewhere in the Florida, you’ve got a collection of 20 beautiful Prancing Horses stashed away in a warehouse for a rainy day. Now imagine the sheer horror and despair you would feel seeing Hurricane Charley, a destructive Category 4 hurricane, pass right over your treasure trove of exotic Italian classics. It sounds crazy, but that actually happened, and now all of them are heading to auction at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale on August 17 to 19 as part of the Lost & Found Collection. Could one man’s collection-destroying natural disaster be the start of another man’s dream restoration project? Take a look below and see if any of these hurricane-survivor Ferraris catch your eye.
1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I
Kicking things off with easily the least recognisable (and oldest) car on the list, here we have the second Mondial ever built, and one of only 13 examples originally completed with Pininfarina spider coachwork. This Mondial was raced in 1954 by ex-Scuderia Ferrari team driver Franco Cortese, who is famed for securing Ferrari its first overall victory. A veteran of the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, and Imola Grand Prix, this Mondial is a truly deserving candidate for your next restoration project. Although it will undoubtedly be a challenging one, the sight of this Mondial returned to its former glory is bound to be a fabulous reward.
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale
Don’t let this Ferrari’s rusty exterior fool you, because under all that patina is one of the most significant Ferraris of the 1950s. As one of only four 250 GT Coupes bodied by Pininfarina during 1956, and only three lacking fender vents, this matching-numbers example already ranks among the rarest Ferraris ever built. However, this car’s royal first owner, King Mohammed V of Morocco, further elevates it above its contemporaries. Now emerging from 49 years of storage under its current ownership, we think its definitely time someone restored this Prancing Horse to its former glory.
1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso
Not only is this long and low slice of heaven one of the most visually arresting cars in the whole auction, but it also managed to dodge the worst of Hurricane Charley’s assault. Originally finished in Amaranto (a dark red) over beige leather, this Lusso underwent a number of resprays in different shades before it was acquired by one Mike McQuaker of London in 1973. Mr. McQuaker decided to start racing his Prancing Horse in 1976, a choice that was accompanied with a number of aesthetic and performance modifications taking inspiration from the 250 GTO and 330 LMB. McQuaker continued to hone his Ferrari over the next 14 years, turning it into something of a track weapon and reportedly winning the British Maranello Ferrari Challenge Series in 1986 and 1987. Whether you decide to restore this Lusso to its original factory specification or preserve Mr. McQuaker’s vision, this Ferrari is easily worth your while.
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy
Don’t let this less-than-concours-quality 275’s patina fool you, because it was once the car Ferrari displayed on its stand at the 1965 Turin Motor Show. However, that’s not all, because this example is also the very first long-nose 275 equipped with an alloy body and six carburettors, and it was campaigned at the 1966 Targa Florio. So, it has had a very busy life, especially considering that it spent the last 44 years in storage under its current owner. Despite mother nature’s best efforts, this 275 still retains its matching numbers engine, making it an ideal candidate for a full restoration.
1978 Ferrari 512 BB Competizione
Saving arguably the best for last, this mean looking 512 BB Competizione is an ultra rare variant of Ferrari’s Berlinetta Boxer. One of just three factory-specified examples prepared for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans, this example was entered by Luigi Chinetti on behalf of the North American Racing Team (aka NART), and remains today in largely the same condition as when it left the track at Le Mans. That means not only does it still wear its original 1978 Le Mans livery, but under the hood you’ll find the race-prepped flat-12. After 42 years in storage, this Prancing Horse could definitely use some help getting back on track, but we’re hopeful that we’ll see this 12 cylinder beast pelting around Circuit de la Sarthe again in the not too distant future.
Monterey, 19 Aug
