Photo: Bonhams
A car with a racing pedigree seldom seen will go under the hammer at the Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Monaco sale on 11 May at Villa La Vigie, Monaco Beach: a 1953 Ferrari 625 Targa Florio two-seat spider, built by Carrozzeria Vignale and modified by Carrozzeria Scaglietti.
The car is one of only three ever built. It is powered by a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder twin-overhead engine, a unit which allowed to take part in some of the world’s most challenging races.
The car debuted during the final practice session for the Grand Prix dell'Autodromo at Monza, driven by British racing driver Mike Hawthorn. Unhappy with the way in which the car performed (it finished fourth in both the first and second heat), the car went back to the shop of Sergio Scaglietti to be modified.
The model you see in the photos attached is the result of those modifications. Looking as it does now, the car entered the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, with Italian race car driver Umberto Maglioli behind the wheel. It then went to race, several times, in the 1,000 km Buenos Aires (621 miles) and the 500 Miles of Argentina (800 km) races.
But the competition which made the car famous was the Mille Miglia, a race which it entered four times, in 1984, 1986, 1989 and 1990. The last public appearance of the car was in 2006, at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.
Since its creation, the car underwent two major restorations, one in the year preceding its entrance in the Mille Miglia race and the second in 2006, at the hands of Carrozzeria Nova Rinascente.
“This is a racing car par excellence: ex-works, driven by one of the most celebrated British racing drivers of all time, and fastidiously restored,” says Bonhams, the organizers of the auction.
“It is eligible for the most glamorous and exciting motoring events across the globe.”
Bonhams expects to fetch between 4.5 and 6.5 million euros for the car ($5.5 - $8 million).
The car debuted during the final practice session for the Grand Prix dell'Autodromo at Monza, driven by British racing driver Mike Hawthorn. Unhappy with the way in which the car performed (it finished fourth in both the first and second heat), the car went back to the shop of Sergio Scaglietti to be modified.
The model you see in the photos attached is the result of those modifications. Looking as it does now, the car entered the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, with Italian race car driver Umberto Maglioli behind the wheel. It then went to race, several times, in the 1,000 km Buenos Aires (621 miles) and the 500 Miles of Argentina (800 km) races.
But the competition which made the car famous was the Mille Miglia, a race which it entered four times, in 1984, 1986, 1989 and 1990. The last public appearance of the car was in 2006, at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.
Since its creation, the car underwent two major restorations, one in the year preceding its entrance in the Mille Miglia race and the second in 2006, at the hands of Carrozzeria Nova Rinascente.
“This is a racing car par excellence: ex-works, driven by one of the most celebrated British racing drivers of all time, and fastidiously restored,” says Bonhams, the organizers of the auction.
“It is eligible for the most glamorous and exciting motoring events across the globe.”
Bonhams expects to fetch between 4.5 and 6.5 million euros for the car ($5.5 - $8 million).
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