Burnt-out Ferrari sold for almost $2,000,000 (25 photos)

At RM Sotheby's auction ended on one of the most unusual lots. Formally put up for auction Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider, assembled in 1954. In fact, the car was a pile rusty iron. Nevertheless, there was a fan of the Italian brand, who paid $1,875,000 for the remains of the sports car.





Model 1954 got its name in honor of the victories of the racer factory team of Alberto Ascari in previous years and equipped with 4-cylinder engine. In the early 1950s, Enzo Ferrari considered that such engines are better suited to the specifics of European routes than traditional for the company V12.

In the first half of the 1950s, Ferrari produced only 15 chassis for 500 Mondial, the bodies for which were built by Pinin Farina. Was created 13 Spyders and 2 Berlinettas, and a car for sale once was the second spider in a row with a body of branded red colors and beige interior.

The car was actively used to participate in the most famous in races including the Italian Grand Prix, Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. In 1958, the new owner moved the sports car to the United States, where they also actively competed in races, but with an American V8 instead of a four from an engineer Aurelio Lampredi. Here is the Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider and finished its career: in the early 1960s, a sports car was in a serious accident, as a result which became a fire.

In subsequent years, the spider changed owners more than once, but not a single one of them did not bother to invest in the restoration of the car. Latest For 45 years the car belonged to the same person and from some moment was considered lost. It was discovered only in 2004, when the hangar where a collection of two dozen rare Ferraris was stored was demolished Hurricane Charlie.

Apart from a few body panels, the Ferrari 500 Mondial kept original only some chassis components and box gears. An engine was attached to the lot, but call it original impossible: this is a 4-cylinder engine developed by the same Lampredi, but with a volume three liters instead of the regular two. Ferrari installed such engines on later model years.