Ferrari F50, one owner from new: June 2022 auction results

1996 Ferrari F50 

Sold by Artcurial, £3.5m (above)

With just 349 examples having been made, Ferrari’s F50 ‘F1 car for the road’ is one of the rarest of the marque’s modern models. This one had covered 819 miles from new in the hands of a single Monégasque owner — but didn’t have a single stamp in its service book, meaning extensive recommissioning will be needed before it returns to the road or track. Despite the additional expense that’s likely to entail, no fewer than eight bidders battled to own the car, which was one of six latter-day Ferraris consigned by the same collector. Others included an F40, a LaFerrari and an Enzo.

 

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1951 Reyonnah 175

Sold by Artcurial, £69,700

This prototype microcar is stranger than it looks, with retracting front wheels so it can be parked in small spaces. One of two built by Robert Hannoyer, its marque name is his own written backwards.

 

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1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster

Sold by RM Sotheby’s, unknown price

This remarkable roadster was a retirement gift to Juan Manuel Fangio from Mercedes-Benz; the celebrated racer covered 45,000 miles in it. Prior to sale, it had been on museum display for 35 years.

 

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1984 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit

Sold by Bonhams, £14,400

Have you ever looked at a modified car and asked, “Why?” This is thought to have been commissioned by the Brunei royal family hence the screaming yellow — the background colour of the national flag.

 

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Full-size Ferrari F1 simulator

Sold by Collecting Cars, £39,000 

This impressive set-up comprised a full-sized Ferrari F1 replica body with high-end race simulator software, a 49-inch curved screen monitor, adjustable pedals and a detachable steering wheel. It even came with its own covered trailer.

 

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1992 Land Rover Defender 90 ‘Marlin’

Sold by RM Sotheby’s, £100,800

Restomod Land Rovers are hot property in the US, as evinced by the sale of this one that was converted into a luxury vehicle for fishing, complete with stainless steel rod holders and beach chairs.

 

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2017 Realm Heritage C-Type

Sold by H&H, £65,250

This superb C-type by replica builders Realm was bronze in tribute to the ‘real’ C-type bought by Fangio in ’52. Had the bodywork been aluminium rather than GRP it would have fetched more.

 

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1978 Ford Escort Mark II

Sold by The Market, £11,250

It might have a couple of doors too many and rear seats instead of a rollcage, but this Escort did a passable job of paying homage to the 1980 Acropolis Rally-winning car driven by Ari Vatanen.

 

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Forthcoming car sale highlights

Hampson, Ellesmere Port
May 7

After a reasonably successful debut in February at Manchester Airport’s Concorde Hangar, fledgling auction house Hampson is heading to Ellesmere Port and the preserved World War I RAF base at Hooton Park. The firm’s USP is that it charges sellers no entry fee or commission – and there’s free parking.

RM Sotheby’s Monaco
Monte Carlo, May 14

As well as offering five cars from the collection of Nigel Mansell, including the two F1 racers we preview in this issue, this sale will also include a unique LaFerrari test mule, an example of Lamborghini’s rare LM002 off-roader and the damaged nose cone salvaged from Jim Clark’s Lotus 33 after the hectic 1967 Monaco GP.

Historics, Ascot
Berkshire, May 21

This Historics event at Ascot Racecourse looks set to be a good place for Jaguar fans, with a couple of nice E-types, a Mark II and an SS100-inspired Birchfield being among the consignments. A C-type tool room copy deserves to be the star, however. With only 2660 miles on the clock, its estimate is £150,000-£180,000.

Silverstone Auctions
Northamptonshire, May 28

This sale taking place at Supercar Fest should do the event proud with its impressive line up of high-speed lots, which includes a brace of Lotus Esprits, a first series Iso Grifo and an Audi S1 E2 Sport Quattro recreation that started life as a family car – before its owner spent £200,000 developing it into an 800bhp monster.