A Ferrari for $34 Million, Anyone?

Over the course of this weekend, the Paris Auction House Artcurial Motors is expecting to collect between $32 and $34 million for a 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti. Back in 1958, this racing Ferrari was driven to victory by the British world champion, Stirling Moss at the Cuban Grand Prix.  

The current record for the most expensive car ever sold stands at $34.6 million, the prized automobile was another classic Ferrari that sold just last year. Yet many pundits hold that this Ferrari may tip that record as these type of auctions often exceed expectations, especially if there are two competing parties present, dedicated enough to commit the exorbitant funds.

Aside from its racing achievements, this Ferrari indeed made history as the former Le Mans lap record holder. It also served the Ferrari factory team in the 1957 championship winning season. While considered by many to be a “Golden Age of Road Racing”, it was also most certainly a precarious and dangerous age, as race events were held on public roads without security barriers to protect either the driver or the many spectators that lined the courses. That year another 335 S Spider competed in what became the infamous Mille Miglia in Italy, where the racing car crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing both drivers and nine people. This tragedy marked the beginning of the end of road racing, where shortly afterwards the much celebrated 1,000 mile racing event was canceled.

As this Ferrari now represents a slice of automotive racing history, it is not unexpected that prices could reach an eight figure sum. Other cars of automotive significance on the auction list include a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta that was once owned by the king of Morocco and a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT short wheel base Berlinetta. Featuring a silver paint scheme and a unique silver Ferrari badge on the hood, it represents the only convertible ever built by Ferrari Testarossa.