Piero Ferrari sits in the record breaking Testa Rossa.
Story and Photos by Alessandro Gerelli
The third edition of the RM Maranello auction was held on May 17th, 2009. This important event has become a reference point for the world market of Ferrari cars.
This year the catalogue featured many interesting items, starting with a huge collection of memorabilia including racing driver’s and mechanic’s suits, technical and sales brochures, F1 car noses and wings, models, sculptures, paintings, a complete F1 engine, and so on. Everything aside from the 10 cylinder F1 engine of the F2000 found a buyer, with prices in line with the estimates. The only exception was the racing suits of Massa and Raikkonen, which sold for values by far less than the estimate (a sign of the decreasing enthusiasm for the two today’s Ferrari drivers?)
A 1:2 scale model of the 2007 F1 car to be used in the wind tunnel sold for 38,000 Euros.
Collectors and cavallino fans are mainly concerned with the cars offered, however. The auction covers a wide range of cars with different prices, starting from recent production up to historical sports and Grand Prix cars. This year, the entire Schermerhorn collection, eight wonderful cars from 1949 till 1970, from a 166 Inter to a Daytona was on the block.
Other attention-getters were 330 P4 (0858), a car with a very important racing background but restored with the Can Am body, the Testa Rossa (0714) and the 250 TdF (0563), plus a couple of Californias, a LWB and a SWB.
The ability to drive the auction cars on the Fiorano track has got to be an absolute boon to RM buyers. Where else is this done?
The Daytona made 750,000 Euros.
After the memorabilia, the cars rolled to the block with a quiet start. A 365 GT 2+2, Dino 246 GT, Maserati MC12 Corsa, 288 GTO, 550 barchetta, 330 2+2, 365 GT4 BB all sold at about 10% less than the minimum estimate, reflecting the current state of the global economy. Not only were the low end prices weak, but many of the medium and high level cars did not reached the reserve: 275GTb/C (max bid 1.25 million Euros versus a minimum estimate of 1.8), the SWB California (4 million vs. 4.3), Daytona spider (750,000 Euros vs. 880,000), Maserati 250F (1.35 million vs. 1.7), 250 GTL competizione (575,000 vs. 800,000), 250 GT Bertone (1.6 million vs. 2.2), 330 P4 (7.250 million was the max bid), 365 GTB4 Daytona gr.4 (2.1 million vs. 2.5), 195 Inter (190,000 vs. 325,000), Maserati 250S (1.350 million vs. 1.5).
Buyers may have been holding off, however, as suddenly the auction came to life. The 250 TdF sold at 2.1 million, a couple of GTBs sold for 600,000 and 725,000, a LWB California sold at 1.925 million, the only F1 car 320,000 Euros, an F40 at 260,000 and finally the record: the Testa Rossa sold for 8.2 million Euros.
There also was an auction for charity: Ferrari auction the last 430 to be produced this year for 180,000 Euros, and the entire amount and the commissions will be donated to Abruzzo people victim of the terrible earthquake of few weeks ago.
Please note that all the prices mentioned are in Euros and do not include commissions and VAT on commissions (for your convenience the exchange rate between euro and dollar used in the auction is 1 euro = 1.375 us dollar).
Maserati 250S of 1957 (chassis # 2431) obtained a maximum bid 1.35 million Euros but remained unsold.
Ferrari 250 GT berlinetta 1956 (chassis # 0563), however, found a new owner for only 2.1 Million Euros.
Ferrari 195 Inter with a Ghia body (chassis # 0105S) was part of the the Schermerhorn collection: Unsold with a bid of 190,000 Euros.
1949 Ferrari 166 Inter with a Touring body (chassis # 017N) from the Schermerhorn collection sold for 235,000 Euros.
The sculpture is a full size bronze model of the Alfa tipo B P3 which sold for 25,000 Euros. The Ferrari is 0102 E, originally a 212 Touring barchetta, it was rebodied as a “Burano” and driven by John Fitch and Salani in the 1954 Mille Miglia for the movie “The Racers.”
Long wheelbase California of 1959 (chassis # 1487) sold for 1.925 million Euros.
Short wheelbase California (chassis # 3119), had a maximum bid of 4 million Euros but did not sell.
Extremely rare Ferrari 250 GT SWB berlinetta speciale of 1959 with body by Bertone (chassis #1739 GT) did not sell despite a maximum bid 1.6 million Euros.
The interior of the Ferrari 250GT Bertone with the unusual gear lever.
1990 Ferrari 641/2 F1 (chassis # 121) sold for 320,000 Euros.
Ferrari 330 P4 of 1967 (chassis #0858): maximum bid 7.25 million Euros (not sold).
Auction attractions included the P4, the 250F Maserati and the TR 250.
Very nice pictures by Alessandro Gerelli !
I wonder whether the collector who sold Ferraris in this RM auction and who goes by the family name of Schermerhorn is related to Professor Willem Schermerhorm, the Dutch politician, also known as”The President of Post-World War II Holland and the leader of the Nazi resistance was Willem Schermerhorn.” Do any of the VT readers (in Holland or the USA) know about this ? Note thathis cars at the auction all had Dutch license plates.