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Ferrari 250 GTO heading to The Quail with no reserve

It's not every day that a Ferrari 250 GTO changes hands. It is, after all, one of the most highly coveted cars ever made, and there were only 39 of them built in the first place. So when one goes up for sale, it tends to fetch millions. Tens of millions, actually, and the prices keep escalating.
Throughout most of the 1980s they were trading hands for six figures. In 1989 one sold for $10 million. A few months later, $13 million. Prices fluctuated in the 90s, but by 2012, one sold for a whopping $35 million, eclipsed the following year at $52 million. Nobody knows what the next one will sell for, but we're about to find out.
That's because Bonhams has got one consigned for its upcoming auction at the Quail Lodge during Monterey weekend next month. And it's offering it without reserve, meaning that it could sell for the opening bid (however unlikely), it could break the previous record or it could land anywhere in between or beyond.

2015 Japanese Grand Prix is a little Mercedes, a lot of zen

Just one week on from the issues in Singapore Mercedes-AMG Petronas appeared to have solved its clamp problems and everything else. Daniil Kvyat at Infiniti Red Bull Racing took the two Free Practice scalps on Friday, but when it came time for qualifying the front of the grid looked really familiar: Mercedes' Nico Rosberg took his second pole position of the season, Lewis Hamilton next to him in second. Kvyat had a hand in that, too, the Russian getting into a big accident in Q3 when he put two wheels on the grass heading into the hairpin and veered into the tire wall so hard that he flipped. That ended qualifying before a number of drivers had a chance to improve their times, Hamilton among them. That's how Valtteri Bottas got in third for Willliams ahead of Sebastian Vettel fourth for Ferrari. Felipe Massa had the second Williams in fifth, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari. Daniel Ricciardo lined up sixth for Infiniti Red Bull Racing, a team we're going to have to enjoy watching for the rest of the season since it might not exist come 2016. Romain Grosjean gave Lotus some good news by getting into eighth, the team so strapped for cash that it couldn't get into its hospitality area, so it held press conferences outside and ate at Bernie Ecclestone's Paddock Club. Sergio Perez took ninth for Sahara Force India, and Kvyat slotted into tenth after not setting a time. The Russsian's race would begin from the pit lane once his mechanics rebuilt his car. It wouldn't be a Formula One start lately without someone at the front having clutch problems. This time it was pole man Rosberg, whose power unit got too hot and put him a few horsepower down on Hamilton through Turns 1 and 2. That's half of how Hamilton took the lead from the lights going out, and the Brit kept it throughout the race. Rosberg, however, said his race was lost when Hamilton pushed him wide through Turn 2, a move Hamilton defended. Rosberg finished almost 19 seconds behind his teammate, a gap that probably isn't fully explained by that opening incident. Hamilton's race was so uneventful that we almost never saw him on camera – that is, we saw him so much less than we usually see him when he's out in front and unpressured that Nikki Lauda said he'd ask Ecclestone why the cameras avoided him. The conspiracy theory holds that FOM was punishing Mercedes for not supplying Red Bull with engines next year.

Ferrari Classiche gives 250 GT a new lease on life [w/video]

There are plenty of workshops filled with skilled craftsman who'd be glad to restore a classic Ferrari. But many are opting to sending their vintage Prancing Horses back to the factory in Maranello to be worked over by the company's own Classiche department. Like this Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, for example. The car was delivered new to Scuderia driver Dorino Serefani, who rarely drove it and sold it in 1964 to a Frenchman who crashed it. He in turn sold it to a Belgian who brought it back to life, repainted it dark blue and gave it a black interior. Another former F1 driver Jacques Pollet bought it next and repainted it in gray, before another Belgian owner bought it in 1984 and had it resprayed yellow in 1992. That's a lot of color changes over the years, but its next owner had yet another livery in mind. He took to Ferrari Classiche in March of last year and had it brought up to spec, this time selecting a Pininfarina gray with a brown interior. The restoration process took 14 months and involved restoring the engine, bodywork, suspension, and rolling stock. Now after more than a year of work, the process is complete and the owner has retaken delivery of the classic Cavallino just the way he wanted it This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. A new lease of life for a 250 GT SWB An extensive 14-month restoration Maranello, 2 December – 14 months of meticulous work – that's how long it took the Ferrari Classiche Department to restore the engine, bodywork, suspensions and running gear of a 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione to pristine condition. The car arrived in Maranello in March 2014 and work began in the summer of the same year, only finishing last week when it was returned to its delighted owner. Famous names. According to the few documents available, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione's first owner was Dorino Serafini, a GT and Formula 1 driver who also delivered a podium position in the 1950 Italian Grand Prix for the Scuderia Ferrari. However, he rarely used this particular car, except in fairly low profile races. In 1964, the 250 GT SWB was purchased by Frenchman Rene Richard. Unfortunately, he crashed it and then sold it on to the Belgian driver Lucien Bianchi who was a brilliant mechanic. After it was repaired, the car was given a dark blue livery with a black interior.