Most expensive Ferrari ‘barn find’ collection goes on auction August 17

When Hurricane Charley, a category 4 storm, walloped Florida in the US with winds of up to 240km/h in August 2004 it unearthed a Ferrari “barn find” of 20 cars. The collection is set to be auctioned on August 17-19.

By numbers, the world’s largest and decaying collection of 60 cars was owned by a French industrialist Roger Baillon. When auctioned, the Baillon Collection, which included a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider owned by sixties French actor Alain Delon and contributed $18.45m (R354.6m) to the achieved record sale of $28.5m (R531.3m.) 

This latest collection, though, which includes a Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 with a concave roof, is expected to equal or even surpass the Baillon record.

The collection is set to be auctioned by RM Sotheby’s during August’s Monterey Car Week without reserve prices. Among the tasty salvages are:

1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I

Provenance is provided by its being one of 13 (maybe 14) cars built by the famed Pinin Farina coachbuilders, and imagery of the car competing in the 1954 Mille Miglia. It’s expected to sell for between $4m and $5m (R93m).

1956 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina

Still wearing its original paint, this 250 GT Coupé Speciale by Pinin Farina was delivered new in August 1956 to Mohammed V, the king of Morocco. This “low-roof” exotic is essentially a 250 GT chassis bodied as a coupe by Pininfarina. About 80 low-roof 250 GT Coupes were built, and former Fiat director Emanuele Nasi (the son of Aniceta Agnelli and Carlo Nasiamong) is among four previous owners. It is estimated to sell between $1.7m and $2.3m.

1956 Ferrari 410 SuperAmerica Coupe Series I by Pinin Farina

Only 35 of the Ferrari 410 SuperAmericas were built. Former owners include a casino magnate, the Shah of Iran, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Emperor Bao Dai of Vietnam and Dottore Enrico Wax, the American importer of Johnnie Walker whisky. SuperAmerica 410s have sold for more than $5m (R98.6m).

1978 Ferrari 512 BB Competizione

It is one of three cars built by Ferrari for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans. None of the cars finished the race though, but it is a collectable that could fetch $2.23m).

1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Series II

Another Pinin Farina build, only 147 were ever produced. It’s expected to fetch between $500,000 and $1m (R18.5m).

The rest of the exalted collection includes:

• 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti

• 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy by Scaglietti

• 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pinin Farina

• 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series I ‘Interim’ by Pinin Farina

• 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Series II by Pinin Farina

• 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS by Pinin Farina

• 1968 Ferrari Dino 206 GT by Scaglietti

• 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 by Pinin Farina

• 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti

• 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti

• 1972 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 by Pinin Farina

• 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB “Vetroresina” by Scaglietti

• 1977 Ferrari 400 Automatic

• 1980 Ferrari 512 BB

• 1991 Ferrari Testarossa

Click here for auction details: Monterey 2023 | Available Lots | RM Sotheby’s (rmsothebys.com)