The roar of the Formula 1 engines might have just stopped echoing through the streets of Monaco after last weekend’s Grand Prix, but the next big car event in the Principality is just around the corner: On June 8, MonacoCarAuctions™is holding its first sale of collector cars at the opening of the TopMarques show. Approved by the Princely Government, the newly established auction house is specialized in the sale of high-level collector cars – and the very first auction on June 8 named 'Asta Rossa' will only feature sports and racing cars made by Ferrari. Before putting the spotlight on five of the most remarkable lots from the catalogue, we sat down with Laurent Blomet, founder and director of MonacoCarAuctions™, to learn more about his new endeavour and the upcoming sale.
Laurent, let’s first address the racing horse in the room: Why only Ferraris?
Well, for two reasons: First because we have a special bond with this brand and secondly because from a professional point of view, we are truly experts of the Ferrari universe, including the cars and history itself. We are able to support our clients who submit us their cars for a first sale and we also know collectors and car lovers who would be interested in buying the around fifty cars we will be selling.
Is it to distinguish from the big auctions house?
Yes and no. We obviously wanted to distinguish ourselves from those big names, mostly because our auctions will always be with a special theme. Also, because we’ll put ourselves in the position of the seller and of the buyer too, and this is what many other companies can’t offer. We will leave a different print and start an amazing journey.
You support sellers and buyers, too. Do they need it?
I think so, yes. When you sell your car, you often have some doubts: Should I really sell it? How will the car be managed? Will it be driven by professionals? MCA is there to support you. Same thing for the buyer. Very often auction houses just hand in the invoice and tell the buyer where to collect the car. He or she has to deal with the car alone. We won’t do that. We will get in touch with the new owner to be sure about his satisfaction. He will have our support – on an emotional, practical and financial level.
Did you choose Monaco or did Monaco choose you?
We are already based in Monaco with another company of the automotive branch, so it felt very familiar to create a real auction house made in Monaco. So far, there are only foreign auction houses that have an office here. On the other hand, Monaco chose us because when the project was submitted to the authorities, it has been welcomed with great enthusiasm.
Thank you, Laurent. Now let’s have a look at some of the fantastic Ferraris coming up on June 8 during the Asta Rossa sale.
The Felber Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Beach Car” by Michelotti
While the jolly Fiat 500 beach cars with their wicker seats and canvas roofs were a common sight in jetset destinations from Portofino to Monte Carlo in the 1960s and 1970s, not even the most extravagant playboys had yet dared to convert a Ferrari into a ‘sea horse’. Until the Swiss luxury car importer and boutique manufacturer Willy Felber was approached by Sheikh Al Thani, the Emir of Quatar, in the Mid-1970s to create an open-top version of a V12 Ferrari. Felber understood the opportunity to create something outstanding – and commissioned the master coachbuilder Giovanni Michelotti from Turin to redesign a Ferrari 365 GTC/4 into a summer cruiser.
During three months of design and manufacturing, Carrozzeria Michelotti created extravagant one-off two-seater without a roof or doors, but plenty of style. Originally the Felber Ferrari Beach Car had been ordered in Light Metallic Blu with a blue denim interior, but the impact of the oil crisis on Quatar meant that Sheikh Al Thani had to cancel his extravagant order – and Michelotti chose to paint the car in Bronze Metallic and show it at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1976. In the years to come, the beach car changed hands multiple times, drawing crowds at Swiss lakeside boulevards and earning the nickname ‘Croisette’.
Michelotti and Felber kept working together and created many unusual cars, including a Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Shooting Brake that was unveiled in 1977. Between 1974 and 1980, Michelotti also created five Ferrari Spyders for the influential American importer Luigi Chinetti. Today, the cars are rarer – and even more sought after than the mythical Ferrari Daytona Spyder. But the most unusual and exciting of them all was the Felber Ferrari built for the beach. We hope to see it in the streets of Monaco soon.
The Ex-Fernando Alonso Ferrari Enzo
The Ferrari Enzo is certainly the most collectable supercar built in Maranello in the new millennium – and the most special of them all must be the once formerly owned by two-times Formula 1 world champion and two-times Le Mans winner Fernando Alonso. ‘Nando’ raced for the Scuderia Ferrari from 2010 to 2014. Even more amazingly, the Enzo seems to be the very first of 400 cars to have left the factory, it is referred to as "Scocca n.1". Complete with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book to certify its authenticity, the car has only been driven 4800 kilometers since new. MonacoCarAuctions™ estimates to sell this VIP Ferrari Enzo for over 5 million euros during its June 8 event.
Ferrari 250 GT Boano ‘Low Roof’ Aluminium Coupé
If you think of Ferrari’s elegant grand tourers of the 1950s and 1960s and their impeccable style, we use associate them with Pinin Farina and Scaglietti. But one of the most refined Gran Turismo of that time was in fact built by Mario Felice Boano. When the newly established Carrozzeria Boano scored a contract to build Pinin Farina’s concept of a Ferrari 250 GT in 1954, the master coachbuilder subtly reworked the design, giving the car a smoother silhouette and stronger, lower beltline. Over two years, between 70 and 80 of these ‘low roof’ coupés were built by Boano. But while most car wore steel bodyworks, 14 bodies were executed in lightweight aluminum alloy, improving the punch of the 3-liter Colombo V12 engine and making it highly competitive at hillclimbs across Europe.
Painted in an alluringly elegant light blue metallic and sporting a white roof over a blue and cream leather interior, the Ferrari 250 GT Boano ‘Low Roof’ Aluminium Coupé was originally delivered to an American client by Luigi Chinetti and raced by the aptly named Jan De Vroom in the 1956 Nassau Grand Prix. Carrying the Ferrari Classiche and FIVA certificate, the exceptional GT is waiting for its new owner to race it at next year’s Mille Miglia.
Koenig Ferrari 328 GTS Twin Turbo
While collectors might argue of Pinin Farina or Boano designed the most elegant grand tourers of the 1960s, the award for the most flamboyant Ferraris of the 1980s certainly goes to the German tuning house Koenig Specials. The wide-bodied, targa-roofed Ferrari 328 GTS Twin Turbo by Koenig that is coming up for sale with Monaco Car Auctions on June 8 squeezed 450 hp out of the 3-litre V8, accelerating up to 285 kph and ruining even the most elaborately sprayed hairstyles along the way.
After they heydays, the reputation of the tuning cars diminished rapidly as fast as the credit-worthiness of many of their owners. Crashed or tinkered to death in suburban workshops, most of the tuning legends of the 1980s disappeared for good. Today, well-kept Koenig Specials are very hard to find – and prices for original wide body Ferraris, Porsches and AMGs have been going through the roof at auctions worldwide. We would just buy it for its BBS wheels and the turbo pressure display on the central console!
Ferrari 458 Italia GT3
Modern Ferrari race cars are all the hype now – and naturally Monaco Car Auctions has a proper track toy in stock as well. If the SF90 Stradale is not radical enough, why don’t you go racing in this 458 Italia GT3. While the car resembles its street-legal sibling at first glance, the whole technology has been reworked for FIA championship racing – from the engine to the gearbox, starter, break and clutch master cylinder, as well as the transmission, racks, and exhaust manifold. If you are looking for a highly competitive Ferrari racer for your next track day – or the 2024 Challenge and GT Days – this might just be the right car for you!
You did not yet spot the Ferrari of your dreams? Have a look at the catalogue for the upcoming Asta Rossa sale of MonacoCarAuctions™ on June 8 – there are plenty of racing horses to choose from.
Monaco, 8 Jun
