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The Ferrari 250 GTO on offer, chassis no. 3413GT, is the third of the 36 examples built, and began its life as
a Series I car. Under Ferrari factory use, the GTO was a test car driven by Phil Hill for the 1962 Targa Florio
road race. The car was then sold to its first owner, one of Ferrari’s most favored privateer customers, Edoardo
Lualdi-Gabardi. The Italian gentleman racer entered the GTO in 10 races in 1962, winning all but one (in which
he placed 2nd in class) and securing him the Italian National GT championship that year. Lualdi-Gabardi’s
incredible track success with the early GTO, right out of the gate, contributed significantly in cementing what
would become the GTO legend and legacy as known today.
Mr. Lualdi-Gabardi received a second GTO in 1963 and sold chassis no. 3413GT to then race car driver
Gianni Bulgari, who went on to lead the renowned Bulgari jewelry company from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Under both Bulgari and subsequent owner Corrado Ferlaino’s ownership, the GTO handily won its class in the
1963 and 1964 Targa Florio. The car contested a total of 20 races in period, never involved in an accident, and
not once failing to finish. A rare case and incredible feat for any race car, it retains its original engine,
gearbox, and rear axle, as well as its factory Series II body, in which it was clothed by Carrozzeria Scaglietti
in 1964.
Following its racing career, the GTO has passed through an unbroken chain of ownership that includes some
of the most prominent Ferrari collectors in the hobby. In 2000, it was acquired by current owner Dr. Greg
Whitten, Chairman of Numerix, avid collector car enthusiast and former chief software architect at Microsoft.
Under Dr. Whitten’s ownership, the GTO has competed in vintage events around the world over the last two
decades, as well as four of the lauded GTO anniversary tours. Wonderfully maintained in highly original
condition, the GTO is estimated to achieve in excess of $45 million in Monterey, making it the most valuable
motor car ever offered at auction.
Myers adds: “This marks just the third time that a GTO has been offered for public sale in the new millennium.
I can think of no better place than our flagship Monterey event, an auction that has borne witness to the
record-smashing sale of some of the most important cars in history, for the presentation of such an
exceptional example of Ferrari’s most successful racer and the world’s most sought-after collector car, full
stop. The fact that the GTO exists as it did in period, along with Dr. Whitten’s long-term, enthusiastic
ownership, only adds to the car’s impeccable pedigree.”
Held during the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance motoring week, RM Sotheby’s Monterey
sale (24-25 August), has been the pinnacle of collector car auctions for more than 30 years, leading the field
and raising the bar with its consistent, record-setting results. This year’s Monterey sale is set at the newly
reopened Monterey Conference Center following its $60-million-dollar renovation, offering collectors a stunning
new experience and a beautiful space for the display and offering of 120 of the world’s most important motor
cars in the ultimate collector car destination.
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