A Ferrari that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and spent the rest of its life in a museum is to be sold for 25 million euros (29 photos)

In early February, RM Sotheby’s will auction one of the most remarkable sports cars in Ferrari history in Paris. This is a 250 LM coupe with a body by Scaglietti, built in 1964. The sports car is considered the only Ferrari in the world to have won the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of a private sports team. They plan to get more than 25 million euros for the rarity.





The 250 LM model appeared in the Ferrari lineup in 1963. The car was prepared as a successor to the famous 250 GTO, using one of the chassis available at the time and a modified V12 from the Testa Rossa with a volume of 3.3 liters. After the debut at the Paris Motor Show, Ferrari launched the process of homologation of the 250 LM, but it was not possible to find common ground with the FIA ​​on this issue. At the initiative of the angry Enzo Ferrari, the project was almost immediately shut down. Only 32 copies of the model were produced, and since the sports car no longer had a chance to participate in the factory team, all the cars were given to private customers.

The sixth copy went to the American Luigi Chinetti, one of the largest Ferrari dealers in the United States. In addition to the auto business, Chinetti was a prominent sports figure - he ran his own team NART (North American Racing Team), using race tracks to promote the Italian brand in North America.

The ambitious businessman decided to enter his newly acquired sports car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, despite the impressive list of participants in the 1965 race. For example, in addition to Ferrari itself with its branded sports prototypes, the Ford concern brought a dozen cars - among them the latest GT40. The 250 LM coupe as part of the NART team was piloted by the already well-known racer Masten Gregory and the considered beginner Jochen Rindt, for whom the race was his first Le Mans. They managed to achieve an impressive victory in the overall standings thanks to both a well-thought-out strategy and a number of accidents, including an accident of the previous leader.

It is noteworthy that in 1965, the entire podium of Le Mans was occupied by Ferraris of private teams, but the manufacturer regards this, among other things, as its own achievement. The 1965 race was the sixth victory in a row for the company.

After the triumphant Le Mans, Luigi Chinetti entered the sports car in races of varying prestige for several years in a row, until he donated the car to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1970. The career of the Ferrari 250 LM provided the car with another unique achievement: it is the only sports car from the Enzo Ferrari era to participate in six 24-hour races. The 250 LM has three Le Mans and three Daytonas to its credit.

The car was kept in the museum almost its entire life, but it was not subjected to a complete restoration, apparently deliberately. The sports car looks almost the same as at the moment of its last finish: the Ferrari has retained various abrasions, chips, etc. The auctioneers especially note that the coupe is still equipped with the same units with which it left the factory in Maranello in 1964.




























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