Ferrari didn't know it at the time, but when this gorgeous 250 LM crossed the line at Le Mans in 1965, it would be the end of an era. After clocking nine wins in the prestigious 24-hour endurance race—five of which came concurrently through the first half of the 1960s—Ferrari wouldn't claim another overall Le Mans victory for 58 years. And when it did happen, the car's engine only had half the cylinders as this classic.
This, of course, is a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti. If you have a lot of money, you could pick it up through RM Sotheby's when it crosses the auction block next year. According to the auction listing, this is chassis 5893, the sixth 250 LM built. It was distributed to Luigi Chinetti Motors and campaigned by Chinetti's North American Racing Team (NART) to victory at Le Mans in 1965. It's the only overall Ferrari win at Le Mans achieved by a private team.
The auction description says it's also the only Ferrari built during Enzo Ferrari's reign that competed in six 24-hour races. Its last race was the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970, after which it was purchased by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, where it's been ever since. The condition is reported as being "highly original" with just occasional maintenance performed over the years to keep it operational. Under the hood is the same numbers-matching Tipo V-12 that powered it to victory at Le Mans, along with the correct gearbox.
That alone would whet the appetites of collectors, but being the last V-12 Ferrari to win Le Mans ahead of the GT40 reign certainly adds something extra to the mix. RM Sotheby's shows a pre-auction estimate of $26 million, but we'll see what the actual selling price is come February. It's slated to headline the auction house's Paris 2025 event.
Source: RM Sotheby's
