RM Sotheby’s has found a new owner for a gorgeous 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO who agreed to pay U.S. $51,705,000 for it including all additional fees. Even without them, the $47 million top bid entered history as the highest selling price of any vehicle ever sold at a public auction.
The 250 GTO in question has a chassis number 3765 and is also known under a different model designation: 330 LM. The matter is, Ferrari had originally prepped it for the 24 Hours of the Le Mans and other high-end motorsports events straight at the factory. Thanks to these early modifications, it ended up with a reworked chassis, a new 4.0-liter V12 instead of the standard 3.0-liter mill, and a slightly revised exterior as well.
The car’s racing debut was at the 1,000 Kilometers of the Nürburgring, where it brought its team a victory in its category and the second place in overall standing. Later on, the car entered the Le Mans marathon, but dropped out before it could finish.
In November 1962, the Ferrari team sold the 250 GTO into private hands. It has then proceeded to change hands several times and occasionally enter races. Since 1985, it has been kept as a collector’s item and never raced.
