Donald Trump’s Ferrari sells—but not as bigly as anticipated
The 2007 Ferrari once owned by President Donald Trump was not the “bigliest” sale of the year. While it was the most anticipated consignment of this weekend’s Auctions America Fort Lauderdale sale, Trump’s F430 coupe was a “no sale” at $240,000 — 10 grand below the car’s low estimate. A few hours later, however, it was announced sold, post-block. The final price was reportedly $270,000, still well short of the $350,000 at the top of the presale estimate range.
Our 45th president may not be a “car guy” in the traditional sense, but he has had some special rides, including a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, a Maybach, a Lamborghini Diablo, and a Mercedes McLaren SLR. But interest in cars is anomalous among non-Michigan politicians. We’re uncertain which ones Trump still owns (U.S. presidents are not allowed to drive, anyway), but the Diablo sold on eBay last year for $460,000. This Ferrari was consigned not by Trump but by the car’s subsequent owner.
Trump reportedly owned the 4.3-liter V-8-powered Ferrari for four years and covered 2,400 miles. The current owner added another 3,600 miles. Under Trump’s ownership, the F430 was registered in New York and titled personally to the President, rather than a business.
An F430 with F1 transmission and paddle shifters, like this one, in 2007 would have cost a little over $180,000. The price at auction for F430 F1s is typically in the low- to mid-$100,000 range. Special models like the F430 Scuderia command nearly double. Spiders and cars equipped with a proper six-speed manual gearbox are also worth more since relatively few F430s were equipped with manual trannys and this was one of the last Ferraris offered with a manual.
Presidential memorabilia is certainly collectible, but we’ve never seen presidential supercars before. The closest thing is Joe Biden’s 1967 Corvette 327/300 convertible, but he’s the original owner and it probably won’t be sold any time soon. If this sale is any indication, Trump ownership history can in fact add a significant premium to a car, but Donald Trump is no Steve McQueen when it comes to vehicle collectability.
