RM Sotheby’s is auctioning a rare Ferrari expected to fetch more than $15m (R275m) at next month’s Monterey Car Week in the US. The last time we know of it selling was in 2022 when someone purchased it off the RM Sotheby’s lot for a staggering $22 million.
Originally developed to compete in the 1955 Carrera Panamericana, the Ferrari 410 Sport Spider’s journey began under challenging circumstances. The race was canceled midway through the car’s development, contributing to a disappointing season for Ferrari. However, the 410 S program persisted, producing four examples of this remarkable vehicle. The last two were equipped with purpose-built racing engines and chassis, making their mark in the 1956 racing season as factory entries. Powered by a 5.0l V12 engine, this 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider by Scaglietti was the prototype for the 410 Sport Scuderia Ferrari Works racing cars, of which only three others were built. The car on auction was driven by the legendary Carroll Shelby to victory at the 1956 Palm Springs Road Races in the golden age of American sports car racing.
The 410 Sport Spider’s storied past includes a thrilling chapter with Tony Parravano, an Italian-born construction tycoon and car collector who had top tier drivers such as Ken Miles, Phil Hill and Shelby racing for his Scuderia Parravano team. Facing tax evasion charges, Parravano fled to Mexico in 1957 with some of his extensive car collection including the Ferrari 410. In April 1960 he was scheduled to return to the US for a court appearance but never arrived and was never seen again. His disappearance remains one of racing’s most fascinating mysteries and adds mystique to the auctioned car’s provenance.
This important early Ferrari race car will go to auction via RM Sotheby’s during their Monterey Car Week event in August.