In a rare occasion at day two of RM’s Monterey auctions, one of the most exclusive Ferraris of all times was sold for a record breaking sum. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder was sold at a price that was far above the expectations. It was sold for a gavel price of $25 million and a total bill (after RM’s 10-percent fee) of $27.5 million.
It was the most expensive car ever auctioned in the United States and was just $2.2 million short of the record breaking 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 Formula One Car that had been sold recently for $ 29.7 million.
Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder was one of only 10 of its kind ever built and has a history of single family ownership. It was owned by an orphan turned millionaire from North Carolina and was more of a garage queen. This also helped in the escalation of the price. This car was bought by the owner in the year 1968 and was featured in the movie “Thomas Crowns Affair”.
The present owner of the car told the reporters that all the proceeds from the auction shall go to different charitable organizations. He is also quoted to have said that the family was auctioning the car as it was his father’s wish that the car does not sit idle in the garage and that’s exactly was happening since his father’s death in 2007 (the original owner of the car). He advised the new owner to drive, love and enjoy the car and share it with others so that they can see it.
The NART Spyder was named so after the North American Racing Team and was the brainchild of Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s North American importer. Only 10 pieces were built. The NART Spyder is considered as one of the most beautiful cars ever built by Ferrari and is owned by some of the biggest car collectors in the world.