The 10 Most Expensive Cars Sold at the 2016 Monterey Auctions, Day 3

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–On the eve of the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, $ 174 million rained down on a quartet of auction houses scattered around California’s Monterey Peninsula to buy 227 cars. Gooding & Company brought in the most money, $ 76.8 million for 70 cars on its first day of sales, including two Ferrari 250GTs that easily cracked the $ 10 million mark. Three other auction companies concluded their Monterey 2016 sales, with RM Sotheby’s coming just $ 200,000 shy of commanding $ 20 million for a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, Mecum Auctions getting about $ 5 million each for a 1966 Ford GT40 and a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, and Russo and Steele selling one car for seven figures, a $ 1.16-million 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. Here’s a rundown of the top 10 sales from Day 3, as observed by representatives of Hagerty Insurance. And if you’d like to see fewer Ferraris, check out our top-seller lists from Day 1 and Day 2.–Who wouldn’t want this slinky, Pininfarina-penned gem in their garage? In a sea of red Ferraris, this Nocciola (copper metallic) 275GTB/4 stands out like a Charlie Brown cymbidium orchid in a poppy field. Over the years, only three owners have called this car their own, racking up a mere 28,000 miles. ---Experts believe this example to be number 231 of 330 produced in a rather short production window running from 1966 to 1968. As with most of the Ferraris that entered the U.S. during that era, this car was imported by Luigi Chinetti Motors; it was then placed with Bill Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada. Gooding’s pre-auction evaluation drives revealed a particularly well-sorted powertrain, a 3285-cc four-cam V-12 with six Weber 40 DCN carbs and a five-speed manual transaxle.–The engine is original, like the rare paint color, the black leather interior, and just about everything else on the car. Last year, this Ferrari was treated to a full service and new Michelin tires and Borrani wire wheels. It sold on the low end of its pre-sale estimate of $ 3.2 to $ 3.6 million, and while that’s still a lot of dough, the chance to get a piece of the finest artisan bruschetta ever baked doesn’t come along every day. We encourage the new owner to follow through on Gooding’s observation that “the minimally used berlinetta is . . . well-suited for vintage tours like the Copperstate 1000.” —Rusty Blackwell and Andrew Wendler–Built to compete in the FIA’s Group B Rally series, the 288GTO served as a mechanical bridge of sorts between old and new Ferrari. Sporting a pair of IHI turbochargers, BEHR intercoolers, and a Weber-Marelli fuel-injection system, the 400-hp aluminum V-8 made the most of then state-of-the-art technologies. Designed by Pininfarina, the body was loosely inspired by the 308’s; for the first time ever in a Ferrari road car, the 288’s body and chassis employed advanced composites in its construction resulting in a claimed curb weight of 2550 pounds. The manufacturer claimed a zero-to-60-mph time of less than five seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. (We clocked one at 5.0 seconds to 60 mph in our September 1985 issue.)–With its traditional Rosso Red exterior finish, this example represents 1 of just 272 288GTO models built. Considered by some to be Ferrari’s first limited-edition roadgoing supercar, this particular 288’s exclusivity is bolstered by the inclusion of the optional air conditioning and power windows and less than 13 kilometers on the odometer. Purchased new by noted New York Ferrari collector Robert Rubin, the car was federalized by Berlinetta Motorcars. Rubin in turn sold the car to Joseph Perrella, who held on to it for 17 years before selling it to the most recent owner in 2002. The car is said to be in all-original condition, and the sale included a binder detailing maintenance and service procedures. Its healthy hammer price exceeded pre-sale expectations of $ 2,250,000 to $ 2,750,000. —Andrew Wendler–The first GT40 road car delivered to North America, this Mark I Ford supercar briefly served as a test and validation car for the automaker in Dearborn, Michigan, before being pressed into service as a PR vehicle. (We got a thrill out of testing a later Mark III example in June 1967.)–As the face of all things GT40 in the U.S., this model came lavishly equipped; despite being essentially a racing car, it came with air conditioning, luggage boxes, a leather interior, and chassis undercoating. Mecum doesn’t specify whether the family that came to own the car (and keep it for more than 40 years) was up-charged at the dealer for the rustproofing but does note that the sealant did its job, keeping the car fresh and clean for its recent restoration. —Alexander Stoklosa–Florida is known for many things: its crazy, face-eating populace; its Lex Luthor–like governor; and its man-eating wildlife (see: alligators). Due to this, it’s easy to forget that the 27th state is also a bastion for racing. Take Porsche 935 chassis 009 0030, one of the most famous 935s of all with its Hawaiian Tropic livery—it took the checkered flag at both the famed 1981 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1983 12 Hours of Sebring. ---Impressive as those two victories are, arguably this 935’s greatest accomplishment was its second-overall (and first-in-class) finish at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Rolf Stommelen, Dick Barbour, and acting legend Paul Newman each pulled stints behind the 750-hp Porsche’s wheel.–After being retired in the late 1980s, chassis 009 0030 was restored to its 1979 Le Mans specifications and livery in the mid-2000s. Since then, it has sat pretty on the lawn of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (where it won “Most Historically Significant Racing Car” in 2007), appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2015, and more.---Between its victories, celebrity connection, and long documented history, it’s no surprise that this rear-engined race car commanded such a high price. —Greg Fink–There are a finite number of Ferrari LaFerraris in LaWorld, and despite being only two years old, it would appear as though the breed has appreciated. A lot, actually, and we’d say a 50-percent gain in value ain’t bad. Then again, Ferraris have never quite been victimized by typical depreciation. Either that, or there’s a lesson here in “having money begets having more money.”–In any case, the buyer will get one of only three LaFerraris painted this striking matte-black color (“Nero DS Opaco”) and one that’s practically brand-new with only 211 miles on the odometer. They may also be buying into an appreciating asset, if this auction serves as a template. —Alexander Stoklosa–Color us surprised by this Ferrari 166MM Berlinetta’s sale price. Not that nearly $ 5.5 million is chump change, but it’s a good $ 500,000 less than the minimum sale price Gooding & Company had estimated for this Ferrari with a unique history—and a patina to match.--Starting life as an open-top barchetta, this 166MM was loaned to Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone of the Bertone design family, who raced the car in the 1950 Mille Miglia. There it finished 14th overall and third in class. By 1953, the 2.0-liter V-12 Ferrari gained a closed roof—becoming a berlinetta—designed and installed by Zagato. Sadly, the car eventually found itself at a Detroit used-car lot, where it was traded for a Triumph TR2 and some cash in 1957.–It wasn’t long until the original V-12 bit the dust and, as was common for old, tired sports cars, a Chevy small-block was installed under its long hood. By the mid-’60s, the old race car and its dead engine fell into the hands of a University of Alabama student who used the 166MM as a daily driver.--With its original engine brought back to life and once again powering this former race winner, this unrestored Ferrari is a true time capsule—not to mention a great conversation starter. —Greg Fink–With stunning coachwork by Scaglietti, this car was special even when it was new, and it’s the second of just nine in the first run of TdFs. It wears the Tour de France moniker to celebrate the 250GT chassis’s three-year run of dominance at the grueling six-day TdF competition, but it in fact was built before Ferrari won its first such event in 1956.–This car ran in the Mille Miglia just five days after being delivered to a Milanese doctor, but it didn’t finish. The doctor kept the car until late 1958, at which point the new owner hired famed rally driver René Trautman to pilot the car, and he secured three first-place finishes (one overall, two in-class) within a week in May 1959. It underwent a few cosmetic updates in period, likely due to some minor crashes, but was restored to its original look after the sellers acquired the car in 2000. There’s no doubt this model belongs on the shortlist for most important Ferraris, and this amazing example’s seven-figure price reflects just that. —Erik Johnson–For enthusiasts of a certain age, the 250GT and its variants are the Ferrari. Many prancing-horse cognoscenti figured this car would hammer at the high end of its $ 15 million–$ 18 million estimate, featuring as it does original aluminum Scaglietti coachwork, a verified history including a seventh-overall finish at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a numbers-matching chassis, engine, and four-speed manual transmission. With a selling price of “just” $ 13,500,000, it appears, depending largely on the number of zeros in your savings account, a buyer got a legendary Ferrari for a pretty good price.–Regardless of the transaction price, you can’t put a value on the sweet siren song of a Ferrari V-12, in this case a 2953-cc unit swilling fuel and air through a trio of Weber carburetors to produce an estimated 280 horsepower at a lofty 7000 rpm. Let’s hope the new owner exercises his purchase with the same gusto as Ed Hugus and Augie Pabst—yep, that Pabst—employed to win at Le Mans in the car back in 1960. —Andrew Wendler–Ferraris always make up a significant proportion of top-level auction sales. Two Ferraris, in fact, have topped $ 30 million at auction: a 250GTO and a 335S Spider. The priciest Ferrari hammered sold at Monterey so far this year is this car. The 250GT California came in several derivations—including the one that starred in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—and they regularly earn eight figures at auction.–This car is particularly valuable because it is one of only nine aluminum-bodied long-wheelbase California Spiders and because it saw extensive racing action from 1959 through 1964 in the hands of its original owner, Goodyear tire distributor George Reed. To enhance its track performance, this California was factory-fitted with disc brakes, a competition gearbox, a limited-slip differential, and a 36-gallon fuel tank. Three Weber carburetors help the 3.0-liter V-12 produce roughly 275 horsepower. Ferrari Classiche has certified that this car retains its original chassis, body, engine, gearbox, and rear end, according to Gooding & Company. A “selective cosmetic restoration” was completed in 2011. —Rusty Blackwell–It was clear this restored Alfa would bring big money before the auctions kicked off, and indeed it did. Cobbled together from a rolling chassis and a Touring body that may or may not have actually been original to the car, the Alfa is rare enough and stunning enough for its story to be compelling, rather than stress-inducing, for the buyer.–After all, it’s not just any car that sees its frame rails hacked apart to fit a Chevy V-8, its original engine and (potentially) body go missing, and be on the receiving end of a total repaint to then be sold for nearly $ 20 million. Try that with pretty much anything else. —Alexander Stoklosa—

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