€7m Ferrari 250 GT up for auction in Paris

There’s no 1963 Ferrari 275 P, though, due to a legal dispute

You might think that one ultra-valuable Ferrari would be enough to get people talking.

While a €7m 250 GT might seem a worthy figurehead for Artcurial’s Rétromobile auction, though, for a time it seemed likely to play second fiddle.

Until 25 January, top of the bill was a Le Mans-winning 1963 Ferrari 275 P – the last works Ferrari entry ever to have won the race outright. There was every chance that its sale would have broken the record books.

Alas, with a legal dispute rumbling on in relation to collector Pierre Bardinon’s estate, the famed Ferrari has been withdrawn.

Instead, we have the 250 GT to enjoy – along with several other bank-breaking motors. Never to be disappointed, we’ve rounded up the 15 most exotic lots still going under the hammer in Paris later this week.

1. 1985 Porsche 962 C

Price estimate: €1,300,000 - €1,600,000

A seriously successful Group C prototype, Porsche’s 926 machine saw its first on-track action at the 1984 24 Hours of Daytona and rapidly became the car to beat.

By the late '80s, its combination of reliability and efficiency saw it dominating championships in the hands of both privateers and works teams – from the World Sportscar Championship to IMSA.

This particular 962 C was taken to a 10th place finish at Le Mans in 1986 by Fitzpatrick Racing, before going on to contest several sportscar championships in the late '80s. In 1989, it entered a French collection, where it remained until its thorough restoration in 2015.

2. 1929 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS 3rd Series Zagato

Price estimate: €900,000 - €1,300,000

The successor to the 6C 1500, Alfa Romeo’s more powerful Super Sport (SS) model hit the track in 1929 and won many major events – including the Mille Miglia and several Grands Prix.

Powered by a 1.7-litre six-cylinder engine, it could reach heady speeds of 95mph thanks to an 84bhp output.

One of just 121 Super Sport examples produced, the 6C for sale was built in 1929 (the first year of production) and, while questions exist as to the originality of the prized Zagato bodywork, it remains a desirable machine.

3. 2007 Ferrari Enzo

Price estimate: €1,800,000 - €2,200,000

Equipped with a roaring 6-litre V12, the mid-engine Enzo was essentially a road-going exhibition of Ferrari’s Formula One technology when it launched in 2002.

On top of a carbonfibre body and ceramic disc brakes, it also received kit not permitted in F1, including traction control and active aero – all of which allowed it to achieve speeds in excess of 220mph, not to mention a 0-100mph time of 6.6 seconds.

With less than 20,000km on the clock, the car up for sale has been regularly serviced yet barely driven, making it a pristine example.

4. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Butterfly"

Price estimate: €800,000 - €1,000,000

Gullwing or butterfly, the 300 SL’s distinctive doors didn’t need a definitive name: hinged at the roof to accommodate the race-bred tubular frame, they were a bold salute from the fastest production car of its era.

Besides those wings, the aerodynamic 300 SL was innovative in being the first production car to implement direct fuel injection – even if the system had its flaws (namely the risk of flooding the oil supply with petrol).

This particular example left the production line in 1955 and lived with several US owners, before returning to Europe for a restoration by Kienle in Germany in the early 2000s.

5. 2006 Ferrari FXX

Price estimate: €2,600,000 - €3,200,000

Buying an FXX meant buying into a program: hand-picked owners could drive the Enzo-derived machine at special track days, but couldn’t take it home. Nor down to the supermarket, for that matter.

Still, it was quite the drive. Its upgraded V12 engine delivered 800bhp, while a heft of the latest F1 technology helped the FXX reach 214mph and hit 60mph from standing in 2.77 seconds.

This rare example has never seen a circuit, making it the closest thing to a new FXX you can buy, shipping complete with its storage crates, slicks and spares – and an unused refuelling system.

6. 1959 Porsche 356 A Carrera 1600 GS cabriolet

Price estimate: €800,000 - €1,200,000

A sports version of the 356 A, the Carrera 1600 GS carried the 1.6-litre racing engine previously reserved for the 500 RS Spyder.

Paired with the proven 356 chassis, it made for quite the package back in the '50s – not least in roofless cabriolet spec, of which just 27 examples were built.

The 356 up for auction left the factory in 1959 and remained in Germany until 1991, when its current owner found the car while it was being restored by Porsche.

7. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Coupe Atalante

Price estimate: €3,300,000 - €3,500,000

Built specifically for the 1938 Geneva Motor Show, this coupé Atalante version of Bugatti’s iconic Type 57C is about as rare as they come.

Carrying the most desirable features of late Atalante models – including a supercharged 3.3-litre engine, aluminium body and hydraulic brakes – it possesses an appropriately complex ownership history.

From being discovered in a Swiss garage in the '50s and competing at Monza, to a period of neglect and subsequent restoration (with Jaguar XK120 bumpers, no less) under the stewardship of Charles Renaud, the chronology and documentary history of this 57C will arguably be as interesting to the new owner as the car itself.

8. 1954 Maserati A6 GCS / 53 Spyder by Fiandri & Malagoli

Price estimate: €2,800,000 - €3,600,000

In 1947, the Maserati brothers left the company which bore their name – but not before developing a new 6-cylinder engine which, refined, would find a home in several future Maserati machines.

Carrying a 2-litre version of that same motor (as perfected by Gioacchino Colombo, future designer of Ferrari’s famed V12), the A6 GCS/53 was a 740kg machine with 170bhp at its disposal.

Paired with beautiful aerodynamic bodywork, it was a truly capable hill climber. One of just 60 ever made, the example in question was driven by Attilio Buffa, its first owner, in several Italian hillclimbs – including the Mille Miglia.

9. 1952 Gordini Type 16 Formula 1

Price estimate: €900,000 - €1,400,000

Entered into 47 World Championship races during its three years of Grand Prix racing, perhaps the most impressive of the Gordini Type 16’s results came at Reims in 1952.

Run by a French team with Frenchman Jean Behra at the helm, the plucky Type 16 managed to hold off chasing Ferraris – despite a quick fix to a worn gear tooth immediately before the race – to win its home Grand Prix, much to the elation of the patriotic fans in attendance.

In 1955, the same Type 16 (chassis 33) was badly damaged at Silverstone, but didn’t die: instead, in the '70s, it was rebuilt from parts with Gordini’s permission.

10. 1963 Porsche 356 B Carrera 2 GT

Price estimate: €800,000 - €1,200,000

The successor to the 356 A, Porsche’s 356 B found its most powerful form in the Carrera 2.

Equipped with a modified version of the Porsche 718’s 2-litre racing engine, the squat GT delivered more power than the GS courtesy of a higher compression ratio.

Trimmed in T6 bodywork (as evidenced by the twin engine vents), the Carrera in question carries its original engine and gearbox, and is being sold by the same Miloé family that’s auctioning the 356 A.

11. 1955 Maserati A6G / 2000 berlinetta Germany / Zagato

Price estimate: €2,500,000 - €2,700,000

First produced in 1950, Maserati’s A6G/2000 was a contemporary of the A6/53 and was, similarly, a race-bred machine.

The car up for auction was born in 1955 with Carrozzeria Allemano bodywork and was displayed at the 1956 New York Motor Show – though shortly afterwards it was involved in a fire which destroyed much of its body.

It wasn’t until after 2000 that the chassis and engine were restored, before Zagato bodywork was added to complete the car – bodywork that came from the first Zagato A6G, a machine which saw action as a recon vehicle for Stirling Moss’ 1956 Mille Miglia effort.

12. 1990 Ferrari F40

Price estimate: €750,000 - €1,000,000

With 1,400 produced between 1987 and 1992, Ferrari’s F40 was practically common compared to the FXX that's also in this list – but that doesn’t detract from its status as the most powerful production car of its era.

Uncompromising in its pursuit of speed, the 1,100kg machine threw 467bhp of V8 effort through its rear wheels to hit 200km/h in 12 seconds – and, with no power steering or sound insulation, driver comfort wasn’t a top priority.

Originally delivered to a Tokyo buyer, this Ferrari Classiche-certified F40 has less than 30,000km on the clock, and recently received a €40,000 service.

13. 1942-1946 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cabriolet Pininfarina Speziale

Price estimate: €1,000,000 - €1,300,000

The penultimate form of Alfa’s 6C, fourteen 2500 chassis were delivered to Pininfarina in 1942, but it wasn’t until 1946 that this particular machine received its unique bodywork.

One of just six surviving examples, the 2.5-litre wagon was lent to the coachbuilder by its first owner for a number of motor shows in 1946, including Geneva, Lausanne, Paris and Turin – the latter of which saw it claim an ACI trophy for “most beautiful open-top car”. 

The storied 6C went on to be stabled with Leonard Lord, Chairman of Austin, who himself sold it to Raymond Loewy, designer of the Austin Seven.

14. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 1 by Pininfarina

Price estimate: €7,000,000 - €9,000,000

Here’s the big one: one of only 40 Pininfarina-bodied Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolets in existence.

While Ferrari’s iconic 250GT was renowned for its V12 power, the Pininfarina Cabriolet was itself famed for its stunning styling – unveiled in 1957 as a striking alternative to Boano’s 1956 convertible.

This 250 GT example is one of just 11 to carry its original engine, gearbox and axle, after painstaking research in 2013 located the original motor.

Rebuilt and restored, together with the bodywork (which was stripped back and painted black), it’s about as rare as Ferraris come – and about as beautiful as it's possible for a car to be.

15. 1964 Porsche 904 GTS

Price estimate: €1,400,000 - €1,800,000

Another Miloé motor, this race-proven 904 GTS was one of 50 homologation models built in 1964.

Originally fitted with a four-cylinder engine (an example of which will also be shipped with the car), Miloé switched it out for a six-cylinder setup when he acquired the rear-wheel drive machine in 1994, and it has been regularly and comprehensively serviced ever since.

Prior to this, it had been stabled with three different racing drivers, who variously put the 904 through its paces in a wide range of events – including the 1964 Nurburgring 1000km.