The most beautiful Ferrari 250 GT will be auctioned in Monterey this August

Ferraris of the 1960s are the acme of collectible classic performance cars, with multiple models easily eclipsing the $10 million valuation mark. The most beautiful of the bunch, by far, is this 1962 250 GT SWB Berlinetta by Scaglietti. Think I’m wrong? Look at it again.

This Grigio Argento 2-door is more than just a sports car. The much lauded (and valued) 250 GTO owes the 250 GT much of its character, as the team of Giotto Bizzarrini, Carlo Chiti, and Mauro Forghieri developed the GT before creating the GTO. The steel body of this example is one of just 40 built, and is of the desirable late-production spec. This is also the road-going, or Lusso, trim.

A grand touring car, the 250 GT is equipped with a 3.0-liter SOHC V-12. The air that makes up the sonorous exhaust note is inhaled through three Weber 40 DCL6 carburetors (but don’t call it a tri-power) before it is exhausted through a set of Abarth pipes. Pumping out 243 horsepower at 7000 rpm, the engine sings its song conducted by the driver through four manual gears.

“The Ferrari 250 GT SWB (short wheelbase) Berlinetta is definitely among the best Ferraris of this era – only overshadowed by 250 variants such as the GTO, Testa Rossa, LM, and California Spider,” says senior data analyst John Wiley. “Its desirability means a serious collector typically owns the 250 GT SWB.”

How serious? They tend to own 31 vehicles on average and have a collection worth a median of over $63 million. These collectors aren’t novices, and with the relatively high production number for the SWB, this is not a car that is purchased for any sum. Bidders will be closely watching to ensure they get a deal, or will wait.

Which is exactly the case with this example. It crossed the Gooding & Company auction block in August 2016, only to not meet reserve and return home to the seller. This August, it is being offered at no reserve at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction, which all but guarantees it will find a new home.

No matter what, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta is more than downright gorgeous. Plenty of gorgeous cars exist but don’t hold nearly the value of this vintage Ferrari. It is the perfect combination of factors or is it a certain je ne sais quoi? Can it be both? It just might be.

No matter what it is that draws you to this prancing horse, most of us can only fall in love from afar, as the no-reserve sale still carries pre-auction estimates of $8 million to $10 million.