Car Spot: 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

Of the 1.9 billion cars in the world, this one is the most valuable!

I am constantly amazed at the car people, buddy Darrel Burnett is connected to. He finds all kinds of interesting cars that the public probably has never heard of and gets the owner/caretaker to agree to exhibit them at The Automobile Gallery in Green Bay, WI. Case in point: last weekend at its Festa Italiana Event, highlighting cars with deep Italian heritage, he brought in a super-rare and ultra-valuable 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO.

Only 36 of these hand-built masterpieces were constructed between 1962 and 1964…. each a 1 of 1 with rich history and characteristics…. each drenched in accomplishment with a value spiraling skyward, completely unfazed by gravity. For the elite in the world with the financial bandwidth to afford one, ownership of a Ferrari 250 GTO is the ultimate expression of style, sophistication, and speed!

This jewel of a car is the 28th of the 36 total 250 GTOs built and wears Chassis #3445GT, in which Italy’s Sergio Bettoja finished 3rd in class in its first race at the Parma Poggio Hill Climb in 1962. After that, the new owner became Count Giovanni Volpi of Italy, followed by wins at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans and Nürburgring. In 1963, Sweden’s Ulf Norinder assumed ownership and consistently won and recorded top-10 finishes around the world, wearing Sweden’s national colors immortalized today. The list of races it has won has amassed a resume that reads like a tour de force of triumph.:

FIA World Championships: 1962, 1963, 81964 (GT Class)
24 Hours of Le Mans: GT Class Wins 1962 & ’63
Tour de France Automobile: Wins 1963 & 64
Nürburgring 1000 km: GT Class Wins 1963 & 64
Targa Florio: GT Class Wins 1962, 63, & ’64
Tourist Trophy at Goodwood: Wins 1962 & 63

While its beauty is worthy of the cover of any fashion magazine, its reputation was forged on the most challenging racetracks in the world. If an estimated price tag north of $70,000,000 sounds impressive, the sound of the engine is just as sweet. When the 12-cylinder symphony hits the crescendo, there is no sound in the world quite like it and no feeling that could ever match it. The 3-Liter Colombo V12 engine jumps to attention with a refined raspy roar, delivering 300 horses and a top speed of 174 mph, remarkable for the early 60s! World champion Phil Hill, who repeatedly took the checkered flag in a 250 GTO. Mr. Hill reduced the experience to four reverent words: “Certain kind of ecstasy!”

OK, now for the second part of this story, how Darrel got its owner to agree to display it at the Green Bay event. It turns out, while we don’t know where the owner lives, the car’s custodian is Motion Products, located about 30 minutes south of Green Bay in Neenah. “It all started with a conversation as I talked with Motion Products about how we could secure the best possible cars. One conversation led to another, and I was fortunate to be able to get the owner to agree to allow the 250 GTO to be in the show,” he told me. Motion Products is the custodian of the 250 GTO, meaning they prep it for major appearances at Concours d’ Elegance events around the world, and Darrel worked closely with Dustin Wetmore and the team at MPI to secure this jewel. Like many owners of high-value vehicles, they want to remain anonymous. Darrel says the gentleman is very nice but very reclusive, and we’ll leave it at that.

Most of my spots, up to this point, have been about cars you, or a friend, or a relative, have owned or driven. They are rarely six-figure cars, but never eight-figure cars until this one. I have one more rare eight-figure car that was displayed at the event that I’ll share in an upcoming spot. If you’re in Green Bay, please stop at The Automobile Gallery; it is a fascinating place and well worth your time. Have a great week, and come back next Sunday for another one of my spots. Have a great Memorial Day weekend.