1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Valued >$45 Million Will Be The Most Expensive Car Ever Auctioned

Ferraris are expensive. There’s no way around that. But some are more expensive than others. A new Portofino or 488, for example, will set you back a good quarter of a million dollars, while the few examples of the rare LaFerrari Aperta commanded a couple of million when it was available – and one went for $10 million, making it the most expensive new car ever sold. But even those sticker price pale in comparison to the car you see here.

It’s a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, which RM Sotheby’s expects it to sell for over $45 million. And that, boys and girls, stands to make this the most valuable car ever offered for auction.

With only 36 examples made and a legend as stellar as its timelessly beautiful bodywork, the 250 GTO is the Holy Grail of collector cars. But even in such rarified company, this one stands a cut above. Chassis number 3413 GT was only the third example produced, initially bodied with Series I coachwork. Phil Hill drove it in the Targa Florio, a legendary race at which this very car won its class the following two years running. It also propelled renowned customer racer Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi to the Italian GT championship in ’62, winning nine out of ten races (and finishing 2nd in class at the one it didn’t).

After Lualdi-Gabardi bought another GTO the next year, he sold this one to Gianni Bulgari (of jewelry fame), who had it converted by Ferrari’s coachbuilder Scaglietti with Series II bodywork in ’64. In the decades since, it’s passed through the hands of several other collectors, ultimately landing in the collection of noted software architect Dr. Greg Whitten – head of Numerix and a former top dog at Microsoft. All the while it’s never been involved in an accident, and is presented in spectacular condition.

Hence the huge valuation, but even $45 million could end up proving conservative. Four years ago, Bonhams sold another GTO (chassis number 3851 GT) for over $38 million, which still ranks as the most ever paid for a car at auction. But values continue to climb in the years since, with one example having sold for $70-80 million just last month. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled when this one crossed the auction block in Monterey at the end of August.