1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider Headlines RM Sotheby’s Monterey 

This year’s Monterey car events are now only a few short weeks away, and as they approach, even more blue-chip consignments are being announced.

This week, RM Sotheby’s has announced the addition of a a unique, one-off prototype Ferrari racer to its Monterey lineup. 

This car, s/n 0592 CM, is a 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider with one-off coachwork by Scaglietti. Of the four 410 Sport models produced, this is the first. It’s considered to be the development car for the model — and it was driven by Carroll Shelby to victory at the 1956 Palm Springs Road Races.

The car is based on the Superamerica, but with a shortened Type 514 chassis hosting that 12-plug Type 126 Superamerica engine. The body features a number of unique touches, including cross-hatched fender louvers and an ovoid grille. It was originally built for the Carrera Panamericana, and later in 1955, it sold to Ferrari VIP client Tony Parravano — a big name in sports car racing on the West Coast of the U.S.

Shelby’s win with this Ferrari in Palm Springs was his first racing career victory of many more to follow in a Ferrari 410 Sport.

Parravano disappeared in 1960 and the car was sold several times. It’s been in collections in Germany and the U.S., and was ultimately restored in 2017 by Ferrari specialists ahead of a 2018 Pebble Beach Concours showing.

RM Sotheby’s estimates the car to be worth in excess of $15,000,000.

For reference, RM Sotheby’s sold one of the other 410 Sports — s/n 0598 CM — at its Monterey auction in 2022 for $22,005,000. That car also had Shelby history, as it was the example in which he won the most races: eight wins and 10 podium finishes.

RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale takes place from August 15 to 17 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, CA.

Learn more here.

Images: Theodore W. Pieper ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s 

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