Released at the end of the 1957 race season due to Ferrari’s response to rule changing that limited engines to only 3.0-liters, the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was a machine of a race car that was built between 1957 and 1961. In many ways, the 250 was a close relative to the earlier Ferrari race cars such as the 500TR and other 250 models, sharing many key components. As time goes on, prices of classical cars continue to rise, even more so when a jumping horse is placed on the front grille.
An unrestored, ex works version of the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold in 2009 for an incredibly high sum of $16.4 million! Back in 2009 this got heads turning and drew its fair share of headlines, however in 2014 one was sold for more than double that price tag! Let’s check it out!
How Much Did You Say? $40 Million?
The unrestored ex works Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa was sold by classic car dealer Tom Hartley for a sum of around $40 million, which made it the most valuable car to have ever been sold in the public domain! The 2009 price tag caught the headlines and got people gasping, so you can imagine the commotion caused! Combining race wins with a former Formula One world champion and an unrestored rare vehicle almost makes you feel like the monumental $40 million sale price seem somewhat reasonable. Following its racing life, this 250 Testa Rossa was donated to the Henry Ford Museum, just outside of Detroit, before being sold in 1997 to Tom Hartley for an undisclosed fee. He held onto the car until 2014 where he sold the car privately for an insane $40 million, and because of the privacy of the sale, it Is still unknown as to who owns the car now.
But How Has This 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Fetched So Much Money?
The reason for this insanely high price tag is that it’s extremely rare for a car of such importance and history to come up for sale. The car was not placed into auction to keep the sale private and confidential, the car was held in stock for around a month, although it was never publicly offered so the lucky individual who bought the car would have heard about the sale purely through word of mouth. Another massive reason for its whopping price tag is because it is believed that this Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa is the sole unrestored Testa Rossa remaining. It still has the original engine, gear box and body work, while it also raced at LeMans in 1957 and picked up wins in the 621-mile race at Buenos Aires and a 12 hour at Sebring the following year. Both were won by racing legends Phil Hill and Peter Collins behind the wheel! No wonder it sold for $40 million!
History Lives On – Drove By Race Car Driver Champions In The Golden Era Of Motorsports Yet Increases Its Incredible Value!
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This is probably the greatest car of all time, hence its hefty price. It was driven by the greatest drivers in the absolute golden era of sports car racing! Yet this Ferrari 250 Tests Rossa remains unrestored and completely original! Phil Hills, Peter Collins’, and Mike Hawthorns DNA are probably still present in the car! It is hard to compare any GTOs to this beauty. This isn’t just a car purchase, it’s an incredible investment which I’m sure will be taken to the grand tour every year and will surly only increase in price and value, it’s an absolute classical, history hording beast at the end of the day.
Now, surely if any of you had the money then an unrestored Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa that was used to race in races such as LeMans by drivers like Phil Hill, would probably be at the top of your list. Although, many don’t have $40 million lying around to splash on a car: a beautifully, elegant car at that. Unfortunately, even if you do have that sort of money to spend on a car, it is very unlikely that you would be lucky enough to find yourself in a situation where you’re able to snap up a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa.
While many of you will feel like $40 million may be an obscene amount to pay for any car despite their history or legacy. Now it is an obscene amount of money to pay on a car, but this isn’t just a car, you’re paying for the car, the history, the legacy, the heritage, and the success. You cannot put a price on history or legacy, and this has bundles of both, not only has it been driven by legendary racing drivers but has won prestigious races as well! The legacy is going to live on forever, the facts won’t change, and the value of this saga will surely only rise!