A few weeks after a Ferrari 250 GTO sold for a record-breaking $70 million, another example of the world’s most sought-after car is going to be put up for auction at the RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterey, California on August 24. The specific 250 GTO in question is estimated to fetch $45 million at the auction. It’s also just the third time a Ferrari 250 GTO is going to be offered for public sale since the calendar flipped to 2000. As much as must-have cars are concerned, there’s no denying which car sits as the unquestioned king of that list. It’s the Ferrari 250 GTO, and you can get your hands on one this August provided that you can afford it.

It’s not often that a Ferrari 250 GTO goes up for sale. It’s only happened three times publicly in the last 18 years, so when it happens, all the biggest car collectors in the world are going to come out, checkbooks in hand. The car they’re going to be fighting for is one of only 36 units of the 250 GTO. It’s widely considered to have the most beautiful design of any Ferrari in history, and its racing pedigree is unquestioned with over 300 race wins attributed to the model in its short history. When people say the Ferrari 250 GTO is the “holy grail” among auto collectors, there’s no exaggeration in that.

The specific model that’s going to be auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s is “chassis 3413 GT.” According to the auction house, it’s the third among all 250 GTOs to be built. It was even used as a test car by Ferrari before it was raced at the 1962 Targa Florio by 1961 F1 world champion Phil Hill. The car’s racing dominance continued with numerous race and title wins at the Targa Florio and the Italian National GT Championship. All in all, this specific Ferrari 250 GTO entered and finished over 20 races, all without any incidents attached to it.

Half a century later, this 250 GTO has changed hands a number of times, most recently in 2000 when it was bought by Dr. Greg Whitten, a former chief software architect at Microsoft. He’s owned the car since and has even used it to compete in a number of historic motorsport events. Despite its extensive racing history, this 250 GTO still has its original engine, gearbox, and rear axle. Most importantly, it still has its factory Series II body that was fitted by Carrozzeria Scaglietti in 1964.

It may not fetch as much as what WeatherTech founder David McNeal paid for the Ferrari 250 GTO that finished fourth at the 1964 Le Mans 24 Hours, but no one’s going to doubt the racing pedigree that this particular model has. “The fact that the GTO exists as it did in period, along with Dr. Whitten’s long-term, enthusiastic ownership, only adds to the car’s impeccable pedigree,” said Shelby Myers, a car specialist for RM Sotheby’s who also happens to have a name fit for the auto industry.

Myers is right. No matter how you slice it, this Ferrari 250 GTO is going to fetch buckets at RM Sotheby’s. Whether it approaches its estimated price of $45 million already seems like a foregone conclusion.

References

Read our full review on the 1962 - 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO.

Read more Ferrari news.