Old Ferraris->ke252 tend to bring boatloads of money at auction, as do cars whose auction->ke2845 proceeds go to charity. Combine the two and watch money fly around the room like a class-five tornado inside Fort Knox.

That’s what’s happening this October, when not one, but two classic Ferraris will cross the auction block at the H&H Classics event at the Imperial War Museum in England. Both the 1960 250 GT SWB and 1967 275 GTB/4 are expected to earn millions, with all proceeds going towards a new boat for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a non-profit lifesaving organization that operates in the waters around the United Kingdom.

The Ferraris were left as a legacy donation to the RNLI by businessman and car collector Richard Colton (described by his friends as a quiet but friendly fellow, who always seemed a bit nervous on boats), and will fund construction of a new lifeboat to be named the Richard and Caroline Colton, after him and his late wife.

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Why it matters

The RNLI can expect to get a pretty big boat, because the 250 GT SWB alone could sell for over $10 million. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini, Carlo Chiti and Mauro Forghieri, it’s the predecessor to the 250 GTO, and like the GTO, was built as a race car->ke148 for the road. With an original run of 176 it’s not quite as rare as the GTO, but it’s arguably a prettier car. Colton drove this example regularly, putting over 60,000 miles on the clock. Despite that, it has never required major restoration, making it a mostly original car.

Amazingly, the 275 GTB/4 could fetch even more. RM Auctions sold one for $10.1 million in August of 2014. Compared with the 250 GT, the 275 GTB->ke3515 was designed as a continent-crushing grand tourer, rather than a road racer. Like his 250 GT, Colton used his silver 275 GTB as a driver, covering over 78,000 miles during his time with the car. It’s also presented in impeccable condition despite the relatively high mileage.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB

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1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4

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