Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype breaks auction sale price records 08/23/2011
A 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype was just auctioned off at the Gooding and Company auction house in Pebble Beach over the weekend, breaking the record for the highest auction price of a Ferrari. The iconic racecar sold for $16.39 million, shattering the previous record for the same make and model that was sold in 2009 for $12.2 million in Italy.
So what makes this car worth so much money? Well, the prototype was the first Testa Rossa ever built, and served as a guideline for Testa Rossa racecars, according to MSNBC. It features a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter V12 engine, and won first place in the 2006 Concours d'Elegance for its pristine condition and appearance.
"We were expecting it to go for a high price because it is the model which kicked off the dynasty of Ferrari racing," David Lillywhite, the editor of car magazine Octane, told The Daily Mail.
The Ferrari did not break the record for the most expensive car ever sold. In fact, it didn't even come close.
Last year a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic took that title, selling for more than $30 million. The car was one of four ever made, and was auctioned off last year during the estate sale of the late Dr. Peter Williamson, who had amassed a collection of classic Bugattis.