Monterey Preview #6: Rare Horses
Monterey car week is a good place to become reacquainted with your existing love of the prancing horse, aka Ferrari, or a time to grow a new crush on the Scuderia. Opportunities abound on the streets of Monterey and Carmel, the concourse and at the auctions. Here are a few highlights to get you geared up:
The Mecum Daytime Auction in Monterey will featured a 2014 LaFerrari with only 211 miles on the clock and one of only three that left the factory with a special matte black paint job called "Nero DS Opaco." The original list price on the Ferrari brand new was $1,420,112. The estimated auction price is between $3,900,000 and $4,500,000.
Photo By: Erik Fuller Photography, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Photo By: Erik Fuller Photography, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
If the classics are what you're after, the Gooding & Company auction at Pebble Beach on Saturday August 20th will feature a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione. It is only 1 of 9 alloy body LWB California Spiders and comes with a decent racing history included the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring with a 5th overall finish. The estimated auction price for this rolling peice of art is between $18,000,000 and $20,000,000.
From the Gooding & Company website:
Although the California Spider was envisioned and marketed as a dual-purpose sports car, only a limited number of the glamorous open Ferraris left the factory in race-ready trim. By 1950s standards, all that was required to transform a California Spider into a serious racing car was a tuned engine and a lightweight aluminum body. Nevertheless, only nine LWB California Spiders were originally constructed with alloy coachwork, and of those, an even smaller number left the factory with competition features. As the alloy-bodied Spiders were produced on a one-off basis throughout the 50-car production run, no two are exactly alike, and all nine examples display significant differences, both mechanically and aesthetically.
Despite their limited production and lack of direct factory support, the California Spider Competiziones achieved impressive results at the height of international racing. From 1959 to 1961, alloy-bodied California Spiders won their class at major events (Sebring, Bridgehampton, Nassau, and Watkins Glen) and dominated the SCCA’s B and C Production classes.
Given its ideal specification, outstanding five-year racing history, and exceptional presentation, the LWB California Spider Competizione presented here, chassis 1603 GT, is widely regarded as the most desirable example of this rare breed.
Photo Courtesy of Gooding & Company
Photo Courtesy of Gooding & Company
The auctions aren't your thing, don't worry, Monterey will still have plenty of Ferrari sightseeing (ogling) opportunities. Exotics on Cannery Row will take place on Friday August 19th, from 4-8pm on Cannery Row. This is a free event and we recommend getting there as early as possible as traffic and parking will be, let's say, infuriating. Having said that, we emphasize that its free and point out that last year we stumbled on a huge buffet of super and hypercars including numerous LaFerrari's.
Last year at Exotics on Cannery Row.
No, this is not the same red LaFerrari as above.
Finally, we can promise that you will be able to walk the streets of Monterey and Carmel on Friday or Saturday night and run into more Ferrari's than a Ferrari concourse event. Some of our greatest finds have simply been parked on the streets.