RM Sotheby's Ferrari Leggenda e Passione 2017

The RM Sotheby’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione 2017 auction was held 9 September at the Pista di Fiorano in Maranello, Italy, resulting in €63,068,110 in total sales and a 92.5 percent sell-through rate. In partnership with Ferrari, the single-marque sale of 38 cars and select memorabilia was staged to celebrate Ferrari’s 70th anniversary year.

Augustin Sabatié-Garat, car specialist at RM Sotheby’s and the auction manager for the sale, said: “It has been a fantastic experience to return to Maranello and to conduct a sale in the company’s 70th anniversary year. The atmosphere throughout the whole weekend has been incredible and it was clear that buyers were keen to secure the very cars that we had on offer. The sale exceeded all our expectations and the enormous sum raised for charity through the sale of the LaFerrari Aperta was a wonderful way to end the evening. We would like to thank our friends at Ferrari for all their assistance and cooperation over the past few months.”

The top result at the RM Sotheby’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione 2017 auction went to the yet-to-be-built 2017 LaFerrari Aperta. The Aperta will be finished in a one-of-a-kind metallic Rosso Fuoco with a Bianco Italia double racing stripe on the bonnet and rear deck. The interior will be trimmed in black Alcantara with red leather inserts on the seats, red stitching and black carbon fiber trim. The car achieved €8,300,000 and was free of all commission; a world record for a 21st century automobile, all of which will be donated to Save the Children for an international program focusing on education.

Following closely behind the Aperta LaFerrari was the numbers-matching 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti, chassis 1503 GT. The California Spider is offered from nearly two decades of single ownership, having seldom been shown over this time. Sporting a maintained restoration and with fascinating history, chassis 1503 GT made €7,855,000.

Another notable result was the 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta Alloy, the only road-going alloy Daytona in existence. With matching numbers, this car was offered in ‘barn-find’ condition, having been discovered in Japan after being hidden for almost 40 years. With documented history and inspected by the leading marque expert, bidding resulted in the car making €1,807,000, becoming the most valuable Daytona coupe sold at public auction.

Although not the most expensive lot of the night, the 1983 Ferrari 400i, offered directly from the collection of Keith Richards, attracted pre-sale attention. The Rolling Stones legend had owned the car from new and it’s preserved in original condition with only 3,267 km on the clock. This five-speed manual example made €345,000; a world-record for the model.

Another noteworthy sale was the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider ‘Green Jewel’, an as-new car offered by the factory in a special livery to celebrate Ferrari’s 70th anniversary. This car enjoyed a bidding war which resulted in a final price of €1,090,200, a world record for a 488 model and a sum which well-eclipsed its pre-sale estimate.