Rare Ferrari Testa Rossa up for Grabs at RM's Monterey Auction

Whenever one of the original 21 Scaglietti designed Testa Rossas comes up for sale, it’s usually very big news. Last year at the third annual Ferrari Leggenda e Passione auction; held at the Ferrari factory in Maranello and hosted by RM in conjunction with Sotherby’s, the car shown in this blog, a 1957 Testa Rossa (chassis 0714TR), sold for a record 9,020,000 Euros (approximately $12.4 million). This amid one of the worst economic slumps in recent memory.

Now at the upcoming Sporting Classics of Monterey auction, to be held from August 12-14th at the Portola Hotel and Spa, yet another Testa Rossa is slated to cross the auction block. The car, 0738TR, was built in 1958 and delivered brand new, to Brazilian Jean-Louis Lacerda Soares. During the course of its history the car has been extensively raced – it was campaigned by Lacerda Soares under the Esquadari Largatixa banner for a number of years and for the past 14 seasons has garnered a number of wins and podium finishes at historic road racing events around the world. Painted in the national Brazilian colors of yellow and green it’s also a very eye catching example and the racing pedigree is likely to mean the car will bring top dollar at the auction. It will be interesting to see, that given the slow economic recovery, if this car will top the record set by 0714TR last year.

The Sporting Classics of Monterey is one of the most prestigious auctions of its kind anywhere in the world and the caliber of vehicles has to be seen to believed. Besides the T-R, other rare and desirable Ferraris up for grabs include a 1959 covered headlamp California Spyder (one of the original long wheelbase cars – delivered new to Prince Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia – the only son of Umberto II, the last King of Italy); a 1959 410 Superamerica and a 1966 500 Superfast. Current estimates place all these cars selling in the $800,000 to $3-million plus range.

[Source: RM Auctions]