Yahoo Movies A Bonkers Collection of 12 Rare Ferraris Is Expected to Fetch Over $20 Million at Auction Next Month
What could be better than getting the chance to check out a long-hidden collection of classic automobiles? How about the opportunity to actually buy some of the rare rides?
RM Sotheby’s will auction off the 14-car Aurora Collection next month as part of its Villa Erba sale in Italy. The assortment of cars includes 12 significant Ferraris dating back seven decades, as well as two equally noteworthy Mercedes-Benz sports cars.
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The Aurora Collection may be made up of the kind of cars that enthusiasts dream of, but it’s largely been hidden from the public eye up until now. The assortment of gorgeous Ferraris and Mercedes was put together by a single unnamed Swedish collector and has never been displayed at a concours event. Most enticing of all, at least as far as other collectors are concerned, is that each of the historically important cars is being offered without reserve.
It’s particularly hard to pick a headliner for this collection, but if we had to we’d probably have to go with the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta by Scaglietti (pictured up top). The red coupé, which retains its matching-numbers chassis and engine, is one of just 165 examples of what’s widely considered one of the most beautiful grand tourers ever built. It also spent featured on the big screen in the 1968 film, The Love Bug. It’s little wonder the auction house expects the car to sell for between $8 million and $9.5 million.
Another candidate for the centerpiece of the collection is the 1956 Ferrari 500 TR Spider by Scaglietti. The open-top speed machine has an extensive racing history and is the third of just 17 examples that were ever built. It’s expected to command between $4.4 million and $4.95 million. For those not dead set on Rosso Corsa, there’s a metallic brown 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider by Scaglietti. The bold convertible is one of just 122 factory-built Daytona Spiders and still has its original chassis, engine and transaxle. It could go for $2.75 million and $3.3 million.
That trio may be the collection’s most notable lots, but there are plenty of attractive options for every kind of collector. For those who believe the 1960s was the Prancing Horse’s golden era, there’s 1967 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti (which has a pre-sale estimate of $3.1 million to $3.65 million), a 1965 275 GTS by Pininfarina ($1.45 million to $1.85 million) and a 1961 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pininfarina ($1.1 million to $1.55 million). There’s plenty of modern Ferraris, too, like the 2019 Monza SP1 ($2.75 million to $3.3 million), a 2011 SA Aperta ($1.1 million to $1.5 million), a 2001 550 Barchetta Pininfarina ($275,000 to $350,000), a 1986 Testarossa ($165,000 to $220,000), a 1997 550 Maranello ($110,00 to $165,000) and a 2002 360 Spider ($80,000 to $135,000). And for the collector who prizes German sports cars over their Italian counterparts, there’s a sought-after Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing ($1.3 million to $1.65 million), as well as a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Roadster ($650,000 to $900,000).
Ready to add something special to your collection? Each member of the Aurora Collection, along with the rest of the Villa Erba sale slate, will hit the block on Saturday, May 20. There are plenty of auctions left in the 2023 calendar, but it’s hard to imagine there will be many better chances to score a truly coveted Ferrari.
Ready to start summer in high gear? There’s still time to join Robb Report’s 2023 California Coastal Rally, June 4 through 8. For more information, or to register, visit here.
Click here for more pictures of the Aurora Collection.
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