Back in 2007, Donald Trump spent a little bit of cheddar on himself and purchased a 2007 Ferrari F430 F1 Coupe. You’ve got to hand it to the man for having good taste, and it could be the only president-owned Ferrari in existence, but when it rolled across the auction block this weekend, it failed to sell, falling $10,000 short of the $250,000 reserve.
All told, it’s a fine example. It’s got that 4.3-liter V-8 with 490 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque. It was purchased brand new by Donald Trump, as shown by the original title that has his signature. With just 6,000 miles on the clock and a history of being service by Ferrari-Maserati of Long Island, everything seems as kosher as possible, right? Well, despite the car’s history, being cared for properly, and coming with not only the original title and window sticker, it still rolled off the auction block unsold. Does it prove that even car enthusiasts and collectors hate our newest POTUS?
Maybe not…
See, it rolled off the block unsold, but hours later, it was sold in a private sale for $270,000, as reported by Auctions America. There aren’t any details available at this point outside of that, but it looks like it did find a new home at the last minute.
Keep reading for the rest of the story
Someone Got a Decent Deal
So, it’s hard to say why Trump’s F430 didn’t sell during its time on the block. It’s got low mileage, is well cared for and clean, it’s got the Daytona-style seats, Scuderia fender crests, and even Giallo gauges with carbon inserts. Pair all of that, with the original documentation and its ownership history, and you would think someone would bite hard. But, that didn’t happen. Did the mystery buyer simply read the crowd and fear potential hatred from a crowd of Trump haters? Well, it’s probably not that deep, but he sure did take advantage and go for the private sale shortly thereafter.
In the past, different variants of the F430 have sold for a lot more. There was a GTC model that sold for nearly $500,000 in Paris earlier this year, and last year an F430 Spider went for more than $350,000. With that said, this specific example was expected to go for anywhere between $250,00 and $350,000. So, if you include the private sale, it didn’t exactly fail to meet expectations, but one would have expected it to go for more. For the record, the original sticker price came to $197,698.
So, did Trump's previous ownership condemn this F430 to a simple private sale after the auction? Well, it’s possible – a lot of people sure do hate Mr. Trump. But, it’s more likely that it’s worth in the eyes of collectors was much lower since Trump wasn’t the current owner when it rolled across the block. Either way, this F430 found a new home over the weekend, and that’s good news. Hopefully, the new owner treats it right.
Drivetrain Specifications
Type |
90° V8 |
Bore/stroke |
3.62 x 3.19 in |
Unit displacement |
32.9 cu in |
Total displacement |
62.9 cu in |
Compression ratio |
1.3:1 |
Maximum power |
490 HP @ 8,500 RPM |
Maximum torque |
343 LB-FT @ 5,250 RPM |
Transmission |
Manual or F1 |
Maximum speed |
196 MPH |
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) |
4.00 seconds |
Manual gearbox |
0-400 m 12.00 s |
F1 gearbox |
0-400 m 11.95 s |
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