Equipment
2,498/210hp 4-cylinder, 4-speed, painted centerlock wire wheels, Dunlop Racing tires, fire system.
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
Originally s/n 0208F as a Formula 2 single seater and raced by Swaters in 1952-53, later upgraded to 625 F1 specifications. Then raced by Alfonso de Portago in 1955. Later owners include Pierre Bardinon, Jacques Setton, Carlos Monteverde and David Vine. In good historic racing condition. Mixed gauges with a very faded Jaeger tach face. Good paint and seat upholstery. Clean but not fresh chassis.
Market commentary
Reported sold (doubtfully) at the Orion Ferrari auction at Monaco in 1991 for $828,438. Historians will argue for years over the importance of the Ferrari 410 Sport sold later today for a gazillion ($20 million hammer) dollars, but this by far and away the most significant car, even among all the Ferraris, sold at Monterey. Ferrari GP cars are only rarely seen and when they are they tend to be Michael Schumacher-era high tech. This is a basic, serious, simple Lampredi 4-cylinder. Its sports car counterpart would be worth two or three times as much and in fact Ferrari would typically recycle the parts from these Formula cars into more readily saleable barchettas. RM has sheltered the final result but even at the low estimate this is a singularly rare and wonderful Ferrari F1 or F2 single seater, one of only a few remaining and blissfully significant. It is so rare and special that venues like the Monaco Historique and Goodwood will welcome it with open arms. Seeing it was a privilege. Buying it, at whatever cost close to the reported high bid, is a rare opportunity.