KEY POINTS:
A British auction house expects to get a world record price for a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa when the car goes up for grabs at a special event in Italy in May.
The Ferrari (chassis no. 0714TR) is one of the most significant models ever offered at
auction and one of only 22 ever built between 1957-58. Fans of Ferrari consider it one of the most iconic of all Ferrari racing cars.
The Ferrari 250 TRs entered 19 international championship races from 1958 to 1961, emerging with 10 victories and earning legendary status among discerning collectors, as well as the honour of being one of the most desirable and competitive racing Ferraris ever built.
"This legendary 250 TR is one of the most exciting motor cars ever to be presented in auction history," said RM Europe auction house chief Max Girardo.
The Ferrari is expected to beat the previous record for the most expensive vintage car sold, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder which changed hands for a staggering US$10.8 million ($20 million).
The car for sale had significant finishes at the world's most important racing events. In December 1957, this car was delivered to its first owner, racing driver Piero Drogo in Modena, Italy.
Drogo debuted the car in the celebrated 1000km Buenos Aires in January 1958 with a respectable fourth place finish.
Following entries in the Grand Prix of Cuba and Portugal, the car was sold to Texas rancher Alan Connell who had several wins on the 1959 North American racing circuit.
It continued its prowess on the track with subsequent owners and competed in its last professional race in June 1963 at the Elkhart Lake 500.
It is now being offered at auction for the first time. The car is resplendent in its period race-correct black livery and red nose.
The Ferrari 250 TR has become a valuable classic - its sculptural elegance gives it a sense of speed even when standing still. The legendary s/n 0714TR is by far the most campaigned of the 250TR cliente series cars, establishing its rarefied place in the collector world as one of the most beautiful and valuable Ferraris ever offered in auction history.
