It’s never a bad day at the office when your biggest task is choosing five of your favourite Ferraris from a stunning collection of 12 prancing horses and two iconic Mercedes, but that doesn’t make the decision any easier. The cars in question all hail from a single garage, dubbed the Aurora Collection, and the full dozen of them are up for grabs at RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba auction on the 20th of May. While we’d be overjoyed to drive any of them away from the auction stand for a spin around Lake Como, below you’ll find the five that really piqued our interest. Let’s take a look!
1956 Ferrari 500 TR Spider
If one were to ask an AI like ChatGPT to produce the most beautiful race car possible, it would likely create something along the lines of this jaw-dropping 500 TR Spider by Scaglietti. In addition to being achingly pretty, this prancing horse has demonstrated its prowess on track, boasting a stunning period race history which includes a class win and 4th place finish at the 1957 Helsinki Grand Prix. Number 3 of just 17 ever made, this 500 TR would see more action in the mid-1980s, competing at the 1982 Mille Miglia Storica and the 1984 Targa Florio Storica. A frequent attendee of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, this fantastic Lampredi-powered sculpture on wheels is now looking for a new custodian.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
I fear we’re fast running out of superlatives, because the cars on this list don’t get any less pretty from here. Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made (us included), the 250 SWB combined Ferrari’s legendary Colombo V12 with an athletic chassis and whiplash-inducing bodywork, resulting in one of Maranello’s greatest hits. What makes this particular example even better, is that it’s known to retain its matching-numbers chassis and engine. Number 62 of just 165 built, not only was this the last SWB built in the 1960 body style, but this example also starred on the silver screen in the 1968 film The Love Bug. Ferrari Classiche certified in 2008, this 250 SWB is one car we’d drive all day, day every day if it were our own.
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
Another of Scaglietti’s masterpieces, this Ferrari 275 straddles the line between automotive artwork and plain old pornography. No Ferrari collection would be complete without one of these stunning long-nosed grand tourers, but very few collections will be home to a 275 GTB in a colour as fantastic as this champagne wonder. Originally delivered new to Rome, Italy, this Ferrari would then spend much of its life in San Jose, USA. Purchased by the current owner in 2011, this gorgeous 275 GTB retains its original chassis, engine, and transaxle, making it a prime example to cherish and enjoy.
1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider
One of our favourite cars in the entire collection, this beguiling Ferrari is one of only 122 factory-built Daytona Spiders. Finished in a perfectly-suited shade of Marrone, remarkably, this example was purchased new by the consignor and has been used very sparingly in the 50 years since. Showing just 3,862 miles on the odometer, this is as close as you’ll likely ever come to owning a near-factory fresh Daytona. Naturally, it retains its matching-numbers chassis, engine, and transaxle, and is offered in its original colour. If you’ve got any plans to tour the French riviera this summer, there’s arguably no car more suited to the job than this topless GT.
2019 Ferrari Monza SP1
After savouring any of Ferrari’s masterpiece’s mentioned above, it would only make sense to see how far they’ve come in their 76 year history, for scientific purposes, of course. Perhaps no modern Ferrari embodies the core of Maranello’s DNA better than the windshield-less wonder that is the Monza SP1. Powered by a 799 horsepower naturally aspirated V12, this hedonistic single-seat missile will offer you, and only you, an experience like nothing else on earth. One of only 499 examples, this Monza SP1 offers rarity, poster-worthy looks, and adrenaline in equally generous proportions. If you have the means, we think there’s really only one responsible course of action: buy this and the 500 TR Spider above and have yourself the track day of a lifetime.
Here are all the Ferraris from the Aurora Collection:
