Racing stars of Pebble Beach

Auctions

A number of storied racing machines could make headlines at Gooding and Co’s Pebble Beach auction on August 24-25

1959 Porsche 718 RSK Gooding and Co

A pair of Bugatti Veyrons, a Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach and a LaFerrari are heading up the hypercar roster for Gooding and Co’s Pebble Beach sale this weekend, but there are a number of important racing cars consigned.

We’ve covered three of them: the Gulf-Mirage MR8, a 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II with an incredible story behind it, and a 1967 Ford GT40 that has been driven by some of the greatest names in motor sport.

The Mirage, expected to fetch $2,500,000 – $3,500,000, has five Le Mans 24 Hours under its belt and is dressed in its period Gulf livery. Under numerous names, it graced the Le Mans podium no fewer than three times in its five entries.

Discovered by a US naval officer, propped up on jacks in a dusty corner of a California car dealership, this 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II is painted in French racing blue and is nearly as decorated as the admiral who’s parting with it – for an estimated $5.5-$7.5 million.

And the Ford, once driven by those such as Peter Revson, George Follmer, Jack Brabham, David Hobbs, Vic Elford and LeeRoy Yarbrough, is estimated to fetch $2,500,000 and $3,000,000 even though its results weren’t as great as its alumni.


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But it’s the 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C, one of 12 examples and first owned by Pedro Rodríguez, which could take one of the highest price tags. The Mexican drove it at Nassau and entered it at the 1967 and 1970 Daytona 24 Hours, with a final outing for the car at Sebring in 1970 in NART colours. The car passed through the hands of numerous Ferrari collectors before being acquired by Swiss collector Alfred Obrist, whose collection was subsequently purchased by Bernie Ecclestone. Ecclestone sold it on and it was maintained thoroughly and campaigned at concours events. Now, it could find a new owner for $12,000,000 – $14,000,000. And Briggs Cunningham’s 1950 Ferrari 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta Le Mans could fetch $6,500,000 – $7,500,000, one of six built with that coachwork.

The hypercars, stunning and obviously swift as they are, don’t have the racing pedigree – but they could well fetch figures equalling those of the Ford and Mirage. The Porsche 918 Spyder, one of only 162 Weissach-decked Spyders in the US, could go for $1,600,000 – $2,000,000; the garish 2014 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse for $2,100,000 – $2,600,000 and the 2014 La Ferrari $3,200,000 – $3,600,000.

A major stepping stone in the story of the Scuderia, the 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT is the second prototype built by Pininfarina and could fetch $2,000,000 – $3,000,000 – a predecessor for the seminal two-door coupé. A year later, four Ferrari 330 GTC Speciales were built and one could sell for $3,300,000 – $3,800,000.

But when a Ferrari bearing the 250 GT moniker is consigned, price tags inevitably inflate: the 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta, featuring a race-bred V-12, could fetch $6,500,000 – $7,500,000.

Porsche’s 1955 550 Spyder, a regular competitor in North American sports car races, is tipped to take $4,000,000 – $5,000,000 while one of 34 718s – this one having competed at the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours – could sell for $3,600,000 – $4,100,000. More up to date, the marque’s 2007 LMP2 RS Spyder is also up for sale, in naked carbon-fibre, and should have no problem reaching seven figures.

Other highlights from the 149 lots at Pebble Beach include one of 181 left-hand-drive Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider Americas, the first Bentley R-type Continental – a 1952 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback – and a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Berlinetta which could fetch $4,300,000 – $4,600,000 owing to its appearances at the Mille Miglia and Monza in period.

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