The big guns are firing: Gooding reveals top Ferraris for Pebble sale

By Steve Wakefield

29th June 2018

The recent sale of Ferrari 250 GTO 4153 GT for 70 million (pick your currency...) has sucked some of the air out of the very top end of the Ferrari market, but joining RM’s 250 GTO S2 at Monterey Week this year will be three significant racing Ferraris from Gooding & Co.

Top of the bill, and so far the Santa Monica house’s headliner, is 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C ‘9063’ (pictured, top). Raced by Pedro Rodriguez at Nassau in late 1966, the attractive Rosso Rubino machine has other period racing history that includes a run at Daytona in 1969. Discerning Swiss Ferrari enthusiast Albert Obrist supervised an Italian restoration of the car in the early 1990s, and since then it’s been owned by a short roster of Blue Riband collectors including – briefly – Bernie Ecclestone.

Gooding lists an estimate of $12m to $14m, which matches the $14.52m gross achieved by sister car ‘9051’ at Gooding’s August 2017 auction. It was sold by RM at Amelia Island in 2001 for $1.1m.

Joining the 275 GTB/C are a 1959 250 GT Tour de France (above) and a 1950 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta Le Mans (below). The TdF comes out of long-term ownership; it’s not been available for public sale since 1966. Attractive and ‘safe’ bodywork of covered headlamps and a single sail-panel vent put it bang in the middle of TdF values, proved by the market-correct estimate of $6.5m to $7.5m.

The small and sexy ex-Briggs Cunningham 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta was only sold by Gooding at Scottsdale two years ago for $6.49m. This August it will be offered for $6.5m to $7.5m.

Already catalogued is the 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II (below) coming directly from the ownership of Admiral Robert Phillips of the US Navy, who has owned ‘0446 MD’ since 1960. This car was first sold to wealthy privateer François Picard, then subsequently raced by factory drivers Gino Munaron, Harry Schell and Eugenio Castellotti. Plus, Admiral Phillips is an expert on the model – provenance does not get better than this.