With brilliant coachwork, exceptional provenance and the fact that only 78 examples were ever produced, Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta has always been one of the hottest models in auctions. In the upcoming Scottsdale auction happening 18 and 19 January, Gooding & Company will offer this particular example from 1958.
The Tour de France Berlinetta is undoubtedly one of the most successful and desirable GT racing cars of the 1950s. This example, chassis 1037GT, is the 19th of 36 single-louvre Tour de France built with coachwork by Scaglietti. It was delivered new to Venezuela and raced by local heroes including Julio Pola, Ettore Chimeri, and José Miguel Galia at major events including 1958 Grand Prix of Venezuela and the 1959 Grand Prix of Trinidad. The car changed hands multiple times since then before Australian Ferrari collector John Maher acquired it in 1989 and took it for a complete restoration.
In 2014 and under current ownership, the 1037 GT was certified by the Ferrari Classiche Department for its authenticity with original chassis, bodywork, 128D V-12 engine, gearbox, rear end and other major components retained. The example is now finished with a red exterior with white stripe and tan leather interior. Together with its fascinating racing and concours history, it’s not difficult to see why the example has been given an estimate of US$ 5,750,000 to 6,500,000.
