At the 1963 Paris Auto Show, Ferrari introduced the 250 LM as the successor to its premier GT-class racer, the 250 GTO. It was produced until 1965, and only 32 units left the factory. One of them, the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti is up for auction.
When Ferrari launched the 250 LM, FIA regulations required that manufacturers produce at least 100 road-legal cars of the model, which Ferrari failed to do, and the FIA refused to homologate it. This meant that the 250 LM had to compete in the prototype class until 1996, when it was homologated as a Group 4 Sports Car.
This 250 LM, chassis number 5893, was the sixth production car to leave the factory. It was delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors, whose North American Racing (NART) team achieved Ferrari’s sixth consecutive victory at Le Mans. It was also the only privately owned Ferrari to ever win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Some interesting facts about this car include that it is the only Ferrari built during the Enzo Ferrari era to compete in six 24-hour races, including three times at Le Mans and three times at the 24 Hours of Daytona. It last raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970, after which it was kept in a museum. It is in excellent condition, with its matching-numbers engine and gearbox.
It is powered by a naturally aspirated 3.3-L V12 engine with 320 hp (238 kW) mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear wheels.
The auction will take place on 4 – 5 February 2025, and the estimated value of the car is €25,000,000 EUR.
For the 1954 F1 season, Mercedes-Benz produced a Formula One car, the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Stromlinienwagen. It won 9 of the 12 races entered and captured the only two world championships in which it competed. It is now for sale with an estimated value of over €50,000,000 EUR.
This car is one of only four known complete examples mounted with the exquisite factory-built enclosed-fender Stromlinienwagen coachwork at the conclusion of the 1955 Formula One season.
How did the story of this car begin? The FIA cancelled the 1952 and 1953 seasons due to a lack of credible competition, and new regulations were introduced for 1954. These regulations specified that normally aspirated engines could not exceed 2.5 liters, while naturally aspirated engines were limited to 750 cubic centimeters. This gave manufacturers the opportunity to produce new cars, which Mercedes-Benz took advantage of and created the best possible car.
They chose a truss-type narrow-diameter tubular space frame similar to the chassis of the W 194 300 SL, and equipped it with a front independent suspension via double wishbones, torsion springs and top-of-the-line hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, and massive Alfin drum brakes.
When it came to the powertrain, several options were considered and a straight-eight configuration with 2,494 cubic centimeters (M196) was chosen. Since it was designed around a complex Hirth roller-bearing crankshaft, the engine was essentially two four-cylinder motors in unison, with two camshafts for each intake and exhaust. It was also equipped with dual ignition and dry sump lubrication, a revolutionary desmodromic valve gear instead of the standard valve springs, and Bosch high-pressure direct fuel injection that guaranteed a reliable and smooth application of power that initially amounted to 275 hp but was later raised to 290 hp.
Since the new formula specified so few limitations to coachwork, the open body in the shape of a W 196 R torpedo was chosen. Low and wide, its smoothly curved body featured a wide open-mouth grille, cooling vents on the rear shoulders, and character lines across the tops of the front wheel arches. This body, also known as Streamliner or Stromlinienwagen, was made in limited quantity by the racing department out of Elektron magnesium alloy, providing a shell even lighter than aluminum for a total weight of just over 88 pounds.
One of the greatest drivers of all time, Manuel Fangio, was an Alfa Romeo driver in the early 1950s and at the Swiss Grand Prix he achieved victory and the fastest lap. This did not go unnoticed by racing team manager Alfred Neubauer who offered Fangio a contract. However, the car was not finished in time for the start of the season and Fangio drove for the Maserati team. After two races, Fangio signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz.
At the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza circuit, Mercedes-Benz entered two Streamliners and one open-wheel car after testing showed that a body with closed fenders would be faster. Fangio in the Streamliner took first place while Herrmann in the open-wheel car took 4th place. However, a few weeks later at the Berlin Grand Prix, all three Streamliners driven by Kling, Fangio, and Herrmann finished on the podium. It was a demonstration of the power of Mercedes-Benz.
During the season, this car with chassis number 00009/54 was completed. It made its debut at the 1955 Buenos Aires Grand Prix, which was unusual in that it consisted of two separate heats of 30 laps each, with the winner determined by the fastest total aggregate time. This car was driven by Fangio, who finished 2nd in both races but won with an overall time of 2:23:18.9.
In 1955, Mercedes-Benz tested a new medium-wheelbase chassis that was being used in the Streamliner, but the car was found to be twitchy at high speeds, so drivers Fangio and Moss requested that cars be sent with the original long-wheelbase chassis. This car, chassis number 00009/54, was the aforementioned long-wheelbase Streamliner delivered to Moss on request.
At the end of the season, Fangio was champion and Moss finished second. In two seasons, the model won three championships in two different racing series, demonstrating Mercedes-Benz’s dominance in Formula 1 racing.
In 2001, the British luxury automobile manufacturer presented the Aston Martin Vanquish grand tourer, and three years later, the Vanquish Zagato was presented at the International Geneva Motor Show. These cars were produced by the Italian coachbuilder Zagato, and only 325 units were produced of which 99 Coupés, 99 Volantes, 99 Shooting Brakes and just 28 Speedsters. One of them, the 2019 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake is for sale.
This car is finished in the launch color of Lava Red over Pure Black and Spicy Red leather. It is in exceptional condition and is adorned with an elongated passenger cabin, three-dimensional “Z” motifs in the front grille and rear mesh, LED taillights similar to blades inspired by the track-only Vulcan, and many details such as two-tone wheels plus gold accenting on the grille and side strakes. Gold accents adorn the steering wheel center, gear lever and air vents.
Under the hood is a 5.9-L naturally aspirated V-12 engine with 592 hp (435 kW) mated to an eight-speed Touchtronic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. The digital odometer shows just 4,937 km.
This car has only had one owner, and is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The estimated value of the car is $450,000 – $550,000 USD.
