Ferrari racer on top
This 2001 Ferrari 550 GT1 Prodrive has set a new world record for a car sold in an online auction, achieving $4.29m (£3.28m) at RM Sotheby’s Shift/Monterey sale yesterday (15 August).
That means RM Sotheby’s has reclaimed the record from Gooding & Company, the former’s benchmark of $2.64m for an Enzo set in May eclipsed by Gooding’s 1966 Ferrari 275GTB Long Nose just last weekend when it sold for $3.08m.
And it is another Prancing Horse that has reclaimed the title for RM Sotheby’s, the $4.29m sale price comfortably within its $3.85-4.85m guide.
Let’s find out more about this history-making Ferrari.
Prancing Horse gallops away
Ferrari was clearly the dominant brand at RM Sotheby’s Shift/Monterey auction on 14-15 August.
The famous Italian marque snatched the top three places in terms of final sale prices, a 1965 275GTB with Scaglietti bodywork second with $1.98m, and a 1994 F40 third with a hammer price of $1.386m.
But both were some way behind the $4.29m achieved by the sale’s top lot.
Famous Ferrari
Out front was this decal-clad 550 GT1.
It is the second of 12 such cars commissioned back in 2001 by British motorsport giant Prodrive for its motorsport programme.
The beating heart
Under the bonnet is this magnificent V12.
In fact, this car is the last V12-engined Ferrari to achieve an outright win at a 24-hour race, and the only one, thus far, this century, after it was driven to victory at the 2004 Spa 24 Hours.
Silverware abounds
But there’s more.
Also in 2004, Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio Gollin took it to the FIA GT Championship title.
Cabin fever
That cockpit is certainly a high-tech place, but then chassis number ZFFZR49B000108418 is clearly no run-of-the-mill racer.
It was from this seat that this car was campaigned in 49 races, taking 15 pole positions and 14 outright race wins, as well as 29 podium finishes.
Race-ready
And should this weekend’s lucky winning bidder want to have a slice of this car’s competition history, there’s good news.
This car is historic race-ready. It is also Ferrari Classiche certified.
Side-exiting supremo
Of course, given that he or she has just shelled out more than $4m on this Prancing Horse, maybe it is now too expensive to risk in the heat of battle?
Still, it would be great to hear its V12 roar in anger once again.
Good as new
It was sold with its full race log and mileage charts, which to date have been meticulously maintained by Prodrive and series promoter Care Racing Development.
In fact, until this weekend’s RM Sotheby’s auction this was a single-owner car, the Ferrari consigned to the sale directly from Care Racing Development.
Continued success
This car’s competition glory didn’t start and finish in 2004.
The year before it secured the runner-up spot in the FIA GT Championship and in 2005 it was third overall in the Italian GT Championship.
Where it all began
The car made its race debut entered by Prodrive at the 2001 Petit Le Mans.
It was driven by Peter Kox, Mark Duez and former British Touring Car Championship winner Rickard Rydell and qualified fifth in GTS class, before retiring from the race because of an oil leak.
Back to it
It stayed in the US and in March 2002 was entered into the Sebring 12 Hours, where Rydell was joined behind the wheel by other high-profile drivers including fellow touring-car ace Alain Menu as well as Formula One refugee Tomas Enge.
The team had a tough race, finishing 30th overall and sixth in the GTS class, as well as setting the fastest lap for a car in that class.
Four times a winner
For the rest of the 2002 season it was run by the BMS Scuderia Italia team and entered in the FIA GT1 Championship.
Piloted by former Grand Prix driver Jean-Denis Deletraz and Andrea Piccini, it took four outright wins at Jarama, Anderstorp, Oschersleben and Estoril.
Onto 2003…
Again with BMS Scuderia Italia for the 2003 FIA GT1 Championship season, now it was Fabrizio Gollin and Luca Cappellari who were this car’s racing drivers.
They ended the year just eight points off the series victors.
Spa success
The highlight of 2003, however, was the Spa 24 Hours.
The regular drivers were joined by Lilian Bryner and Enzo Calderari, and the crew came home second place overall, first in class.
Championship charge
With Gollin and Cappellari back behind the wheel, 2004 started on a high.
The duo scored victories at the opening two rounds of the championship, which were held at Monza and Valencia, then came third at French track Magny-Cours.
Podiums all the way
Then it was second place at Hockenheim followed by a third at Brno.
A strong start to the 2004 campaign for this Ferrari 550 GT1, and then there was the blue riband Spa 24 Hours in July.
Back in Belgium
And so to Spa, with the driving talents of Bryner, Calderari, Gollin and Cappellari reunited to vie for victory.
They won by a lap, in so doing scoring Ferrari’s first outright 24-hour win victory in six years – and only its second since the 330 P4’s at Daytona way back in 1967.
Sealing the deal
A second at Imola and a win at Oschersleben followed.
This meant that this car claimed the 2004 championship with one round remaining. Bravo.
What does the future hold?
2005 was this car’s competitive swansong, during which it won three times and took seven more podiums en route to third overall in the championship.
It has since been impeccably presented in its Spa 2004 livery – and we wonder what the future holds for it, having become a world-record breaker with RM Sotheby’s this weekend.