Ferrari 250 GTO expected to fetch $45m at auction

Existing record for a public sale expected to fall as classic Ferrari goes under the hammer

In a world where £13k can't be guaranteed to buy you a very secondhand Vauxhall Nova, it's comforting to think that several incontestable holy grail cars still exist. The Aston Martin DB4 GT, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Lamborghini Miura SV and McLaren F1 - all univerally desired and appreciated thanks to their exceptional rarity, performance and beauty. But there's one car that consistently ranks above even those illustrious names.

Everyone has their own favourite, of course, but when it comes to the car that can stake the best claim to holding the unwavering admiration of enthusiasts, the Ferrari 250 GTO stands alone. This fact has, unsurprisingly, been reflected in its value, most notably back in 2012 when a 250 GTO became the most expensive car ever sold, going under the hammer in the USA for $32 million. That figure has been beaten several times since, right up until around two weeks ago when an American collector privately bought a 1963 example for a rumoured $70 million (£52 million).

Now comes news that yet another 250 GTO is set to head to auction, this time with an estimate of over $45 million, a figure which would set a new record for a car offered for public sale.

The specific Ferrari in question, chassis no. 3413 GT, was the third of just 36 examples of the 250 GTO ever built. It functioned as a test car, driven by Phil Hill at the 1962 Targa Florio, before being sold to its first owner, and one of Ferrari's favourite privateer customers, Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi. The Italian gentleman racer entered his new car in 10 races that year, winning all but one (in which he came 2nd) and securing the Italian National GT championship in the process.

No doubt the current owner, Dr. Greg Whitten, will be hoping that the combination of classic beauty, racing pedigree and sonorous 3.0-litre V12, plus the car's status as a modern auction icon, will all set the stage for a record-breaking bidding war. For those of us who can only dream of being involved in such high stakes one upmanship however, there is at least this short video of Dr. Whitten putting the car through its paces one final time. Make sure to turn your volume up!