1957 Ferrari Sells For $34.9 Million
A vintage Ferrari 335S from 1957 has been sold for $34.9 million. The antique Ferrari, chassis number 0674, was on sale at an Artcurial auction in Paris and is distinguished by a rare racing provenance. The vehicle was driven competitively in races by a number of motorsport icons, including Mike Hawthorne and Sir Stirling Moss. In its first year of competition, the 335S was driven by Wolfgang von Trips to second place at the Mille Miglia, with Peter Collins and Maurice Trintigant racing it to sixth at the 12 Hours of Sebring. The car also recorded the fastest lap at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Such historical pedigree is much sought after by collectors, and one of the key aspects that determines such a car’s value.
Owned by big names in the Ferrari world, such as Luigi Chinetti, the founder of the North American Racing Team and the first Ferrari importer in the US, for the past 45 years it was part of the Bardinon Collection, renowned for a wide array of high-quality Ferraris. The 1957 335S fell short short of the world record paid for a 1962 250 GTO at Bonhams. That sold for $38.1 million during the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but it is still one of the most expensive cars ever sold at auction.
In another car auction, last week a Rolls-Royce Dawn was sold for $750,000. The luxury car was put up for charity and is the very first production model of the new Rolls Royce convertible. With a market value of over $400,000, the Dawn sold for nearly double it’s retail price.
The winning bid of $750,000 was lodged by insurance mogul and hedge fund manager Julian Movsesian. All proceeds went to the Naples Children & Education Foundation (NCEF), a charity which has given out annual grants to more than 40 nonprofit agencies and improved the lives of more than 200,000 children. Over the past 15 years, Rolls Royce motor cars have grossed $4.8M in bids for the NCEF.
Rolls-Royce first introduced the Dawn last September at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the convertible sister to the Ghost sedan and Wraith coupe.
The luxury convertible boasts a twin-turbo, 6.6-litre, V122, 563-horsepower engine with eight-speed transmission, and can reach a top speed of 155 miles per hour, hitting 0 to 60 in 4.9 seconds. The car is 17.3 feet long, 6.4 feet wide and 4.9 feet high, it weighs 5,644-pounds and offers 575 pounds-feet of torque. Its combined fuel economy is 19.9 miles per gallon.
The Dawn draws inspiration from the 28 rare Rolls Royce Silver Dawn luxury convertibles produced between 1950 and 1954. Its name was intended to embody the post-war zeitgeist as a world recovered from prolonged war and economic austerity.
The Bespoke division made this particular example in Andalusian white, with a deep red roof, red coachline, and the vehicle is finished in full Santos Palisander Canadel Paneling – a handcrafted finish of open pore Indian Rosewood – covering the front fascia, doors and wrapping onto the back deck. Bespoke Treadplates commemorate “Build No.1 for Dawn in North America.”
Luxury extends towards the dashboard interface, fitted with the Spirit of Ecstasy Rotary Controller, and a touchpad that allows drivers access to media and navigation function. Characters for navigation input or media searches can be finger-drawn like a smartphone, the dial allows you to scroll through menus and select functions.
Safety is enhanced by a head-up display and heat detection system that identifies both human and animal heat signatures and issues an audible warning to the driver of possible danger. The luxury convertible also has Satellite Aided Transmission as standard, which utilises GPS data to assess the road beyond a driver ‘s range of sight and anticipate their next move based on location and driving style.
Excitement for the new Drophead Coupe has been exceptional with the first model year already being fully subscribed.
[Image via Artcurial]
