Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that the world’s rarest automobiles have been hitting the auction block with some frequency lately. The most recent example of this trend is the upcoming sale of the 1962 “Sharknose” Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Speciale, one of the first cars to be styled by automotive design icon, Giorgetto Giugiaro and one of the most significant automobiles sold at Pebble Beach for 16.5 million US dollars.

At the time, Giugiaro worked for Giuseppe “Nuccio” Bertone at Carrozzeria Bertone, which was then one of the world’s leading coachbuilders, and the car was purchased by Bertone in 1962. The 250 GT SWB chassis was to be built for Nuccio’s own collection and use, and he sought advice from the young Giugiaro to help bring his idea to life. Drawing inspiration from the 156 F1, as well as the 330 TRI LM and 246 SP racing cars, the result was an aggressively-styled silhouette with a distinctive “shark nose” front.