Built primarily from the mid-1950s through the early 1960s, the various 250 GT models combined road-car refinement with engineering developed through Ferrari’s formidable competition program. Most shared a version of Gioacchino Colombo’s 3.0-liter V12, with the “250” designation referring approximately to the displacement of each cylinder. Beneath that common identity, however, Ferrari produced a remarkably diverse range of coupes, convertibles and competition cars.
The 250 Europa GT, introduced in 1954, is generally regarded as the first true 250 GT and established the basic formula for Ferrari’s subsequent grand-touring cars. Unlike the earlier 250 Europa, which generally used the larger Lampredi V12, the Europa GT employed the compact Colombo 3.0-liter V12 and a shorter chassis. Most examples received elegant Pinin Farina coachwork.
The Europa GT evolved into the 250 GT Boano and Ellena coupes of 1956–58. Pinin Farina designed the body but lacked sufficient production capacity, so construction was initially handled by Mario Boano’s coachbuilding company. Production later transferred to Ezio Ellena, whose cars incorporated several detail changes, most visibly a slightly raised roofline. These cars represented an important step toward Ferrari becoming a manufacturer of series-produced grand tourers rather than primarily a builder of small numbers of individually bodied automobiles.
The 250 GT Cabriolet Series I, introduced in 1957, was a much more exclusive open version, with Pinin Farina coachwork and considerable variation among individual examples. It was followed by the more standardized 250 GT Cabriolet Series II in 1959, which emphasized comfortable open-air touring rather than competition.
Ferrari simultaneously developed a considerably more sporting branch of the family. The 250 GT LWB Berlinetta, produced during the second half of the 1950s and now commonly known as the Tour de France, earned its nickname through Ferrari’s repeated victories in the Tour de France Automobile. Built on the 2,600-mm long-wheelbase chassis and usually clothed by Scaglietti, these lightweight competition-oriented berlinettas evolved through several body configurations and became among Ferrari’s most successful GT racing cars.
The open counterpart was the 250 GT California Spider, created primarily for the American market. The first cars, now called the LWB California Spider, appeared in 1957 and combined open coachwork with much of the mechanical character of Ferrari’s competition GTs. Scaglietti built the Pinin Farina-designed bodies, with both steel- and aluminum-bodied examples produced.
For 1958, Ferrari introduced the 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe, often called the PF Coupe. More standardized than its predecessors, it was a major step toward true series production and served as Ferrari’s principal luxury GT coupe through 1960. Its understated styling contrasted sharply with the more aggressive competition cars.
A major change occurred with the introduction of the 250 GT Short Wheelbase Berlinetta (SWB) for 1960. Its wheelbase was reduced from 2,600 mm to 2,400 mm, improving agility, while four-wheel disc brakes represented an important technical advance. Built by Scaglietti to a Pinin Farina design, the SWB was offered in both relatively civilized roadgoing form and lightweight competition specification. Competition versions were highly successful in international GT racing and helped establish the SWB as one of the defining Ferrari sports cars of the period.
The shortened chassis also formed the basis of the 250 GT SWB California Spider, introduced in 1960. Compared with the earlier LWB California, the SWB version had more compact proportions and incorporated the technical improvements of the SWB platform, including four-wheel disc brakes. Built in very small numbers, both generations of California Spider are among the most valuable roadgoing Ferraris today.
Ferrari’s most famous development of the 250 GT concept was the 250 GTO, introduced in 1962 for international GT competition. It combined a highly developed version of the 3.0-liter Colombo V12 with a lightweight chassis and aerodynamically optimized bodywork. Although mechanically related to the 250 GT SWB, the GTO was a purpose-built competition machine capable of roughly 300 horsepower. Only a tiny number were constructed, and its racing success, rarity and appearance have made it one of the most valuable automobiles ever produced.
At the opposite end of the spectrum was the 250 GT 2+2, better known as the 250 GTE, introduced for 1960. It was Ferrari’s first four-seat model produced in significant numbers. While it was Ferrari’s first volume 2+2, it actually retained the same 2,600 mm wheelbase as the LWB cars rather than adding length. The engine was shifted 200 mm forward and the frame rails were widened to accommodate the rear seats. Its success demonstrated the commercial importance of luxurious 2+2 grand tourers to Ferrari, establishing a product category the company continues to offer today.
The final major roadgoing evolution was the 250 GT Lusso, introduced in 1962. Built on the short 2,400-mm wheelbase chassis, the Lusso combined some of the sporting character of the SWB with a more luxurious interior and exceptionally elegant Pinin Farina styling executed by Scaglietti. Produced through 1964, it is generally considered the last of the traditional 250 GT road cars.
Important Sales Reviewed by SCM Experts
Each month for the past 38 years, SCM’s analysts have reviewed 5 to 7 significant cars sold at auction, and discuss what options, history, or details made that particular more or less valuable. They give their expert opinion on the market for these cars, and whether this car was well bought or well sold. If you’re thinking of purchasing a Ferrari 250 GT, you’ll likely find these profiles critical in helping you make the right decision.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California SpiderBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published June 15, 2026
Photos courtesy RM Sotheby’s What does another record sale say about the broader Enzo-era market? Ferrari achieved incredible heights during the 1950s and 1960s with its 250 GT platform, experiencing remarkable success in sports-car competition with models such as the Tour de France, Testa Rossa and GTO. Alongside these wondrous racing machines, Maranello built a […]
Read more 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider CompetizioneBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published September 18, 2025
By 1960, Scuderia Ferrari dominated the highest levels of international motor sports. Its Grand Prix cars had delivered World Drivers’ Championships to Ascari, Fangio and Hawthorn. In sports-car racing, Ferrari was unrivaled, scoring repeat victories at endurance classics including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1000 Miglia, Targa Florio, Tour de France Automobile and 12 […]
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France BerlinettaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published December 12, 2023
By the early 1960s, road-car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the company’s future stability. Thus the 250, Ferrari’s first volume-produced model, can be seen as critically important, though production of the first of the line – the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to 1954 […]
Read more 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L LussoBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published September 13, 2023
The Ferrari 250 GT/L berlinetta Lusso is undoubtedly one of the most appealing grand-touring models ever built, combining the 250 GT’s developmental apogee with one of Scaglietti’s most acclaimed coachwork creations. Introduced at the 1962 Paris Salon as a replacement for the discontinued 250 GT PF coupe, the Lusso featured an all-new interior arrangement highlighted […]
Read more 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB BerlinettaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published July 13, 2023
The highly successful racing berlinetta that Ferrari introduced in late 1959, on its new 2,400-millimeter short-wheelbase chassis, was a triumph in terms of both aesthetics and performance, as brilliantly epitomized by this desirable example of the 250 GT SWB. Chassis number 2347GT is the 62nd built out of a total production run of 165 cars, […]
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1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California SpiderBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published April 12, 2023
In 1957, Ferrari’s leading U.S. dealers, Luigi Chinetti and John von Neumann, impressed upon the factory the need for a simple, dual-purpose 250 GT Spider — a car that could be used to commute during the week and then raced with success on the weekend. As a result, Ferrari produced the California Spider, a high-performance […]
Read more 1961 Ferrari 250 GT PF Cabriolet Series IIBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published January 19, 2023
By the early 1960s, road-car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the company’s future stability. Thus the 250, Ferrari’s first volume-produced model, can be seen as critically important. True series production began with the Pinin Farina “notchback” coupe on the 250 GT chassis. A number […]
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series IIBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published April 16, 2021
In a modern reinterpretation of this winning maxim, this particular 250 GTE Series II has been masterfully upgraded to surpass the performance of any road-going Ferrari of the period. Looking at the car, it lends absolutely no impression that it has been so thoroughly improved. But make no mistake: This is truly a wolf in […]
Read more 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by EllenaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published August 14, 2020
Popular Videos about the Ferrari 250 GTO HistorX – Ferrari 250 GTO YipZone 6,989,929 views Building a Metal Ferrari 250 GTO | Making a 1/5 Ferrari RC Car | How to Make a Mini Ferrari 刘木头LiuMutou 6,608,501 views The Ferrari 250 GTO Speaks for Itself Petrolicious 2,924,977 views 7 Minutes Of Pure Ferrari 250 GTO […]
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1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso BerlinettaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published April 16, 2020
The Ferrari 250 GT/L berlinetta, simply known as the Lusso, is without a doubt one of the most successful and visually arresting grand-touring cars ever built, as the apogee of the 250 GT platform’s mechanical development and claiming a sporting exterior that is aesthetically among the most acclaimed designs of all time. Introduced at the […]
Read more 1958 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Berlinetta by ScagliettiBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published September 19, 2019
Over the past six decades, the 250 GT Tour de France has become one of the most sought after and collectible of the classic Ferraris. Marrying advanced engineering with magnificent aesthetics, the TdF achieved a fantastic racing record, paving the way for future competition berlinettas such as the 250 GT SWB, the 250 GTO, and […]
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1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina CoupeBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published April 19, 2019
The final example of 353 PF coupes built Equipped with factory disc brakes, overdrive and outside-plug engine Originally finished in attractive Blu Sera with Ivorio interior An ideal restoration candidate; retains matching-numbers engine per factory records Offered with important original sales documentation Popular Videos about the Ferrari 250 GT Restoration of an Old Abandoned FERRARI. […]
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1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta by ScagliettiBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published February 21, 2019
The Ferrari 250 SWB Berlinetta was unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in October of 1959. Besides its stunning new design and upgraded engine specification, the car featured other competition-bred refinements, including a wheelbase that was about nine inches shorter for sharper handling and increased corner speed. Four-wheel disc brakes — a first for a […]
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1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina CoupeBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published November 15, 2018
Matching-numbers car (chassis, engine, gearbox, rear axle) Cognolato restored the car in the mid-2000s, and the engine was done by Corrado Patella Winner of the Prix d’Élégance at the 2014 Zoute Concours d’Élégance By the early 1960s, road-car production had ceased to be a sideline for Ferrari and was seen as vitally important to the […]
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTOBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published September 24, 2018
A1964 Targa Florio class winner, chassis 3413 was just the third production Ferrari 250 GTO built. A fierce competitor, it racked up 15 overall and class victories between 1962 and 1965 including two Targa Florio class wins. After retirement from serious competition, chassis 3413 passed through the hands of several enthusiast owners who continued to […]
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1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe BoanoBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published June 15, 2018
Originally finished in Grigio with Rosso interior, this Boano coupe was delivered to Milanese publisher Giorgio Mondadori during the spring of 1957. It was exported from Italy to England in the late 1960s, and by the following decade was exhibited in Jim Baxter’s Lark Lane Motor Museum in Liverpool, finished in red with a tan […]
Read more 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder CompetizioneBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published January 22, 2018
The late 1950s and early 1960s was the golden era of sports car racing. Every weekend, privateers and manufacturers alike would take to racetracks around the world, racing everything from home-built specials to the latest and greatest in handcrafted, exotic Italian sports cars. One of the major players in the sports car racing scene in […]
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1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 1 by Pinin FarinaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published December 15, 2017
The 14th of 40 Series I 250 GT cabriolets built, chassis 0791GT was delivered new in a very attractive colour combination of Bianco over Blu Connolly leather. Its color scheme perfectly suited the car’s personality as a fashionable open-top Ferrari. First owner John R. Fulp Jr. of Greenville, SC, was a gentleman racer with respectable […]
Read more 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso by ScagliettiBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published July 19, 2017
This car was seen at Ferrari’s 50th anniversary festivities in Rome and Maranello in May of 1997. The Ferrari was then finished in dark brown by Bachelli & Villa with a tan leather interior by Luppi. The current Italian owner bought the Lusso in 1999. Still finished in dark brown over beige, a strikingly elegant […]
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder CompetizioneBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published September 15, 2016
The Ferrari 250 California Spyder is unquestionably among the most recognizable and beloved sports cars of all time. While the origins of the legendary model have been well established and the entire production run carefully documented by devoted historians, the exceptionally rare competition variants were built to highly individualized specifications and do not fall into […]
Read more 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California SpyderBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published May 2, 2016
In late 1957, just as production of Pininfarina’s Series I cabriolet was getting under way, Ferrari was in the process of developing a new open 250 GT variant for the booming North American market. Ferrari’s leading United States dealers, Luigi Chinetti and John von Neumann, impressed upon the factory the need for a simple, dual-purpose […]
Read more 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta LussoBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published January 15, 2016
Ferrari’s breathtaking 250 GT/L was designed as a new offering to fill the market between the sporting 250 GT SWB and its more luxurious sibling, the 250 GTE 2+2, by combining the best features of both. The Lusso was first seen by the public at the Paris Motor Show in October 1962, and many enthusiasts […]
Read more 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione TdFBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published January 1, 2016
The Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is one of the most influential and impressive automobiles ever produced. It is the most successful competition 250 GT Ferrari model, having garnered more victories than any other model, including the revered 250 GTO. With the 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine fitted to Ferrari’s 2,600-millimeter wheelbase chassis, this car was […]
Read more 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE Series II 2+2 CoupeBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published November 19, 2015
Although several special-order 2+2s had been produced in the 1950s, the 250 GTE was Ferrari’s first true production 2+2, and it enabled them to widen their potential market and compete directly with Aston Martin, Maserati and Facel Vega. The new 2+2 would bring for the first time wide-scale production, with 953 examples in total, across […]
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1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by EllenaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published May 1, 2015
By the late 1950s, Pininfarina had established itself as not only the creators of the “Ferrari look” but also as the favored design house in Maranello. However, whilst the coachbuilder was rapidly expanding, it was not yet ready to meet the demand for increasing Ferrari production. As such, the first series-built “production” Ferrari models were […]
Read more 1962–63 Ferrari 250 GTO BerlinettaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published November 1, 2014
The Ferrari 250 GT Omologato needs little introduction as the most iconic, most habitable, street-useable, race-winning, World Championship-winning — and simply gorgeous — closed two-seat coupe car from the world-famous Maranello factory. The GTO was developed to contest the 1962 3-liter class FIA GT World Championship series of classical endurance-racing events. Selective production at Maranello […]
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1961 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by PininfarinaBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published March 1, 2014
The 250 series was Ferrari’s crowning achievement of the 1950s and early 1960s. The high-water marks of this series have defined the “Prancing Horse” in the decades since, and in many ways, the series set the stylistic and cultural tone, which has grown exponentially model after model. From the lovely Lusso and the sporty California […]
Read more 1958 Ferrari 250 GT CoupeBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published September 1, 2013
With the 250 engine came a family of cars that turned Ferrari from a small-scale marque to a world-renowned manufacturer. This range was based on a powerful 3-liter V12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo. The engine was adaptable to use on the road or the track. After the first examples of the 250 Ellena and […]
Read more 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB TdFBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published November 1, 2012
The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed 80 lives had a profound effect on racing. The increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars were identified as a contributor to the disaster, and new regulations were drawn to eliminate what were essentially Grand Prix cars packaged with two-seater […]
Read more Best Buys on the PeninsulaBy Stephen Serio · Published November 1, 2012
I think we can officially do away with the term “Affordable Classic” when speaking about Monterey. In my opinion, when using the term “affordable,” we should generally be referencing something that the masses could easily afford. The five rides I’ve chosen are valued from the mid-five digits to the mid-seven digits. That’s affordable, Monterey-style. Five auction houses replete with hundreds…
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1961 Ferrari 250 GTE Series 1 2+2 CoupeBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published June 1, 2012
“Pininfarina and Enzo Ferrari have collaborated to make a most desirable motor car: expensive, fast and luxuriously comfortable, with a large luggage compartment. All this adds up to a Gran Turismo, with the accent on the ‘Gran,’ par excellence. If you want to go road racing look to the Berlinetta, but for touring in the […]
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California SpyderBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published May 1, 2012
The 250 changed Ferrari’s destiny. Centered on the famous 3-liter, V12 engine, two Ferrari families were born: one destined exclusively for the track and the other for the road. The racing line gave birth to such legendary cars as the Testa Rossa, Tour de France Berlinetta, 250 GTO and the 250 LM. Meanwhile, stars, tycoons […]
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1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB BerlinettaBy John Apen · Published August 1, 2010
The 250 GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta (SWB) is a great dual-purpose gran turismo and the logical evolution of the long-wheelbase Berlinetta, popularly known as the “TdF” because of its four consecutive wins in the Tour de France from 1956 to 1959. The SWB was even more successful than its predecessor, posting class wins at Le Mans […]
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1963 Ferrari 250 GTE NHRA Pro StreetBy John L. Stein · Published May 1, 2010
Few cars shock the senses quite like a well-executed Pro Street machine, and this gleaming black Ferrari 250 GTE may be the most shocking Pro Street car we have ever seen. This is believed to be the world’s only Pro Street version of the Prancing Horse. Professionally built and based on a real Ferrari 250 […]
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1959 Ferrari 250 GT “Tour de France” Competition BerlinettaBy John Apen · Published February 1, 2006
Ferrari’s 250 3-liter LWB Berlinettas so dominated the grueling Tour de France in the mid 1950s, they took their name from it. They racked up a string of victories in the epic French race, scoring a 1-2-3 in 1958, when only 21 of 60 starters finished. The five-day, 3,300-mile marathon included open road rally stages, […]
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1960 Ferrari 250 GT “Nembo” SpyderBy Steve Ahlgrim · Published December 1, 2005
The tradition of custom coachbuilding died in the 1960s as new technology made “frames” obsolete. Ferrari was among the last constructors still building automobiles with separate frames, and this accounted for the pre-eminence of Italian coachbuilders. The carrozzerie prospered, supported by sporting chassis and powerful drivetrains and nurtured by the Italian passion for design. Such […]
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Cars For Sale
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Books on the Ferrari 250 GT
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Past Auction Sales – Ferrari 250 GT
Average Ferrari 250 GT Sale Price by Year from SCM’s Platinum Auction Database:
Ferrari 250 GT Sales from SCM’s Platinum Auction Database:
Broad Arrow Auctions
Condition: 2
May 16, 2026
$1,060,328
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
Apr 25, 2026
$1,850,496
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2+
Apr 25, 2026
$19,506,336
Gooding Christie's
Condition: 1
Mar 5, 2026
$16,505,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2+
Feb 27, 2026
$7,045,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
Jan 28, 2026
$16,844,425
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2-
Jan 28, 2026
$908,527
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 3+
Oct 18, 2025
$446,068
Broad Arrow Auctions
Condition: 1-
Oct 10, 2025
$599,367
Gooding Christie's
Condition: 2-
Aug 15, 2025
$25,305,000
Gooding Christie's
Condition: 2+
Aug 15, 2025
$7,550,000
Gooding Christie's
Condition: 2-
Aug 15, 2025
$4,850,000
Gooding Christie's
Condition: 1
Aug 15, 2025
$7,265,000
Gooding Christie's
Condition: 2+
Aug 15, 2025
$736,500
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2
May 22, 2025
$1,277,917
Broad Arrow Auctions
Condition: 2+
Mar 7, 2025
$9,465,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
Jan 24, 2025
$3,772,500
Gooding & Co.
Condition: 2
Aug 16, 2024
$5,200,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2
Aug 15, 2024
$5,615,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2+
Aug 15, 2024
$17,055,000
Bring a Trailer
Condition: 3+
Aug 12, 2024
$359,722
Artcurial
Condition: 2
May 9, 2024
$5,566,474
Artcurial
Condition: 2+
May 9, 2024
$5,934,796
Gooding & Co.
Condition: 4
Feb 29, 2024
$940,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2
Jan 31, 2024
$11,008,360
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2-
Jan 31, 2024
$992,940
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 3+
Nov 4, 2023
$400,649
Bonhams Cars
Condition: 2+
Oct 8, 2023
$5,101,929
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 4-
Aug 18, 2023
$1,655,000
Bonhams Cars
Condition: 1
Aug 18, 2023
$1,193,000
Gooding & Co.
Condition: 3+
Aug 18, 2023
$9,465,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 3+
May 20, 2023
$522,162
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2-
May 20, 2023
$1,323,980
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
May 20, 2023
$1,403,689
Gooding & Co.
Condition: 1-
Mar 2, 2023
$18,045,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2
Nov 26, 2022
$437,047
Bonhams
Condition: 3+
Oct 9, 2022
$1,070,322
Worldwide Auctioneers
Condition: 2-
Sep 1, 2022
$885,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
Aug 19, 2022
$5,340,000
Broad Arrow Auctions
Condition: 1-
Aug 18, 2022
$5,500,000
Mecum Auctions
Condition: 2
Aug 18, 2022
$2,860,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 3
Feb 2, 2022
$1,292,237
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2
Nov 19, 2021
$4,982,486
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 2-
Nov 19, 2021
$6,979,567
Bonhams
Condition: 2-
Sep 18, 2021
$457,052
Gooding & Co.
Condition: 1-
Aug 13, 2021
$10,840,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
Aug 12, 2021
$995,000
RM Sotheby's
Condition: 1-
Aug 12, 2021
$6,000,000
Bonhams
Condition: 2
Jul 9, 2021
$710,952
Gooding & Co.
Condition: 3-
May 3, 2021
$2,222,000
See all 272 sales of Ferrari 250 GT cars from SCM’s Platinum auction database.
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