Autoblog

Ferrari restoring Steve McQueen's 275 GTB/4 to factory condition

Noah Joseph — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:02:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Ferrari, Celebrities

Even 32 years since his death, Steve McQueen captures the imagination of driving enthusiasts. The actor's cars continue to fetch big bucks at auction. Last summer at Pebble Beach, McQueen's personal 1970 Porsche 911S, driven in the opening scene of Le Mans, sold for $1,375,000 - a figure nearly matched by the racing suit he donned for the same movie. His metallic brown 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso sold at Christies a few years back for $2.3 million, and now another Ferrari from McQueen's past has returned home to Maranello.

The car in question is a 275 GTB/4 that the King of Cool acquired in San Francisco while filming Bullitt. Sometime after McQueen sold the car, its subsequent owner had its roof chopped off, transforming it into a de facto Spyder (there are only 10 real 275 GTB/4 NART Spyders). The car's new owner, however, has sent it back to Ferrari to have its roof rebuilt and the car returned to original factory specification.

The conversion is being undertaken by the Ferrari Classiche division, which will certify its authenticity once the process is completed. The unit was established in 2006 specifically for that purpose, and has since then dealt with some 3,300 classic Ferraris.

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Ferrari restoring Steve McQueen's 275 GTB/4 to factory condition originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Jun 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gooding unloads its 'time capsule' cars for its 2011 Scottsdale Auctions

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Coupe, Auctions, Racing

Gooding 2011 Scottsdale Auction offerings - Click above for high-res image gallery

Gooding will be unearthing some vintage competitors and a barely used road car to its 2011 Scottsdale Auctions next month: a barn find 1964 Shelby Cobra and 1965 Shelby GT350 R, 1964 Porsche 904, 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, the purported lowest-mileage unrestored Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster anywhere.

Said to be the only unrestored Cobra in blue and red livery, the '64 snake spent 33 years in "storage" yet comes off as surprisingly lustworthy in spite of that. It began life as Carroll Shelby's promo car at SoCal racing venues, was dredged up from the deep to do the Postwar Preservation Class at this year's Pebble Beach, and now expects to find a good home for somewhere north of $525,000. The '65 Shelby GT350 R is a one-of-26 that was campaigned and did plenty of winning in the B-Production Championship in the sixties.

Another serious racer was the four-cam, fiberglass-bodied '64 Porsche 904. The one up for auction was used to beat Phil Hill, who was driving a Cobra, at Candlestick Park in 1965. Finally, the '62 Mercedes 300SL has so few miles that it could qualify for a barn find: 7,367 original miles in 48 years and still in the care of its original owner. The auction happens January 21-22 next year. There's more info on the cars in the presser after the jump, along with some high-res galleries below and after the break if you just want to window shop. And trust us, you do.

Gallery: 1964 Shelby Cobra 289

[Source: Gooding | Images (C) Alejandro Rodriguez/Gooding, (C) Pawel Litwinski/Gooding, (C) Scott Nidermaier/Gooding]

Continue reading Gooding unloads its 'time capsule' cars for its 2011 Scottsdale Auctions

Gooding unloads its 'time capsule' cars for its 2011 Scottsdale Auctions originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Three classic Ferraris break the million-dollar mark at Amelia Island

Noah Joseph — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:06:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Ferrari

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta - Click above for high-res image gallery

While the iconic 250 series of 1960s-era Ferraris - including the GTO, California Spyder and Testa Rossa - continue to break records at auction, the models that followed are quickly catching up, as those who lusted after them in their wonder years are coming up with the cash to acquire them today. As with any great collector cars, the more perfect and more rare the specimen, the more it'll fetch at auction.

Case in point, three classic Ferraris hovering around the 40-year-old mark each sold for seven figures last week at the RM Auctions Amelia Island event in Florida. One example, a rare Daytona Spyder once owned by Edsel Ford II, brought in $1,017,500 - safely inside the $1-1.25 million estimate range. Another, an alloy-bodied 275 GTB/4 in stunning copper, which was purchased new by Luigi Chinetti and displayed at the 1967 New York Auto Show, went for $1,265,000 - a little short of its estimate. It was bested, however, by a meticulously-restored, concours-winning 275 that greatly exceeded its estimate with a $1,650,000 winning bid.

Along with the headline-catching Duesenbergs, these classic cavallinos helped RM achieve an 88% sale rate at Amelia Island, accounting for over $19 million in sales. Further details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder, ex-Edsel Ford II

Gallery: 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Berlinetta, ex-Luigi Chinetti

Gallery: 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta

[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading Three classic Ferraris break the million-dollar mark at Amelia Island

Three classic Ferraris break the million-dollar mark at Amelia Island originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edsel's Ferrari Daytona Spyder, Chinetti's 275 up for auction at RM Amelia Island

Noah Joseph — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:31:00 EST

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

Ford's '72 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder - Click above for high-res image gallery

Crockett and Tubbs sure looked pimpin' cruising the streets of Miami in their Ferrari Daytona Spyder. Thing is, as big a Ferrari nut as producer Michael Mann is, he wasn't man enough to get hold of a real drop-top Daytona: the one featured in Miami Vice was a replica. But Mann wasn't the only American executive trying to get his hands on one. Though his great grandfather may have lost the opportunity to buy Enzo Ferrari's outfit outright, Edsel Ford II managed to acquire this very rare and highly sought-after Daytona Spyder on his own.

Only 121 examples were officially produced by Maranello - supplemented by a wealth of chop-jobs perpetrated on the more common Daytona coupe - and this one was once owned, among its three pink-slip holders - by Edsel Ford II. One of only 22 made in yellow, this example has recently undergone a full restoration and comes certified by the rigorous Ferrari Classiche program. It's anticipated to fetch upwards of $1 million when it crosses RM's auction block on Amelia Island in March.

The Daytona isn't the only rare, million-dollar Ferrari classic among the early consignments lined up for Amelia Island, though. The RM Auction event will also feature a rare four-cam, alloy-bodied 275 GTB/4. The car was acquired by Luigi Chinetti, the official importer of Ferraris to the United States, and displayed at the 1967 New York Auto Show. The fully restored show car, in a rather striking copper paint scheme, is estimated to fetch between $1,350,000 and $1,750,000. The auction is stillstill several months away, so stay tuned for more key consignments as they're announced. In the meantime, you can check out these particularly stunning stallions in the galleries below.

Gallery: 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder, ex-Edsel Ford II

Gallery: 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Berlinetta, ex-Luigi Chinetti

[Source: RM Auctions]

Edsel's Ferrari Daytona Spyder, Chinetti's 275 up for auction at RM Amelia Island originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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