AN INCREDIBLE vintage Ferrari has gone on sale for an eye-watering price – but it comes with a catch.
The rare Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider is available on the market at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction next month.
RM Sotheby’s Monterey AuctionThe four-cylinder Italian motor on sale is in a sorry state[/caption]
The Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider was a sleek iconic sports car (stock)
It is expected to fetch between £950,000 and £1.25m
The classic 500 Mondial came off the back of Alberto Ascari’s world championship victories in 1952 and 1953.
After Ascari’s successes, Ferrari decided to put the powerful 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine engine into sports cars, and the 500 Mondial was born.
Now, the exquisite four-cylinder Italian racer is expected to fetch between £950,000 and £1.25m ($1.2m and $1.6m) at auction.
But any potential buyer will be wary as the purchase comes with a surprise.
The iconic motor is currently in a sorry state after crashing and burning 59 years ago, leaving just a charred shell behind.
It does not even have any wheels or interior and all that remains is the crumbled metal and a replacement engine.
The model in its prime could do 0-60mph in just 5.9 seconds and boasted a roaring top speed of 146mph.
This particular classic motor was just the second one to be built and ended up as one of 13 Spiders put together by Pinin Farina.
It was completed in March 1954 and was originally painted in Rosso Corsa with a sleek beige interior.
The 0406 has been through some tough times since, but in its early years it was raced across Italy by former Ferrari factory driver Franco Cortese.
After a fourth in class finish at the Mille Miglia in 1954, the vintage car was rebodied by Scaglietti.
By the time it appeared at the Imola Grand Prix in June 1955, the car had been repainted in white with a racing stripe on the bonnet.
But that was nothing that compared to what became of the car as it headed across the pond to the US.
Having raced in the States for a couple of years and gone through various owners, the car was sold to Stanley Surridge.
He promptly ripped out the Yoo-ro-pean four-cylinder and fitted an all-American V8.
RM Sotheby’s says that at some point during the following two years, the Mondial was crashed and burnt to the state you see it in now.
The auction lot apparently includes a rear axle and a gearbox with matching numbers to the chassis, but that Ferrari engine is a larger 3.0-litre Lampredi four-cylinder from a 750 Monza.
The RM Sotheby’s auction listing states: “There is no denying that 0406 MD will require a comprehensive restoration to return the car to the condition of its glory days.
“But for the future caretaker with the proper vision and resources, the journey to renewal promises to be a very rewarding process.”
It comes after a stunning collection of vintage cars from the last century have been found abandoned in a barn.
Meanwhile, a pristine 1970 Ford Escort has hit auction for an eye-watering sum – and it has a surprise royal connection.
The “riotous” classic is a throwback to the golden era of rallying and has been meticulously restored to keep it in tip-top shape.
And a stunning 1960s MG roadster hit the market for just £10,000 while hiding an amazing bonus feature.
RM Sotheby’s Monterey AuctionA charred out shell is all that remains of the iconic Ferrari[/caption]
RM Sotheby’s Monterey AuctionThe vintage red motor does not even have any wheels or interior[/caption] Read More