Ask, “What is the most desirable car ever made?” and a deluge of names will come your way. However, if you ask “What is the world’s most expensive car?” the hands down winner may well be Ferrari’s 250 GTO, originally produced in the 1960s.
This is because Talacrest, a specialist Ferrari dealer based in south England, has announced that they have in their possession a 1962 250 GTO (the second GTO to be manufactured) and carries the chassis number 3387. It has been valued at an eye-popping $55 million, making it the most expensive car in the world if sold.
(This title currently belongs to a red 1962 GTO, which was sold for $38.1 million in 2014.)
Only 39 250 GTOs have been manufactured, 36 of which were specially equipped with V-12 engines, capable of producing 300 horsepower and a blinding top speed of 257km/h. In the 1960$, these specs earned the 250 GTO the tag of “the fastest racing car in the world.” With such a rich history and lineage, it is not surprising that on the rare occasion when GTOs have come on the market, they have fetched millions of dollars.
This particular GTO, which is Ferrari’s signature blue in colour with a distinctive white central stripe, boasts a storied racing history. It was the first Ferrari ever to compete in a race (at the 1962 edition of the North American Racing Team competition) and has the distinction of securing the second position at the Sebring 12 Hours (driven by phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien) and the sixth place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (with the legendary Robert “Bob” Grossman at the wheel) in 1962.
Furthermore, it is quite possibly the only car to have successfully competed at 27 racing competitions, with 17 podium finishes within a span of three years (1962-1965).
By Jafer Khan from Pakistan – January, 2017
