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Le Mans-raced 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM headed to auction

Vintage Ferrari models show up on the auction circuit all the time, but few can match this particular '53 340/375 MM Berlinetta Competizione in terms of historical significance. Not only did the machine compete in the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, but this particular model managed to finish in second place before being disqualified for taking on extra brake fluid during a stop. More importantly, a total of three Formula One world champions have driven this car in competition at events like the Spa 24 Hours, Pescara 12 Hours and the Circuit of Guadeloupe.
The coolest part for us? Umberto Maglioli managed to set a public road stage record with this machine during the Carrera Panamericana by averaging 138 miles per hour over 223 miles. The effort was good enough to land the team a sixth place finish overall, and the record still stands to this day for any road stage anywhere. The 340/375 MM Berlinetta Competizione is up for auction in restored condition at the RM Auction event in Paris this week. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Ferrari 250 GT California nets $17 million at Amelia Island

The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider is famed for its feature (in replica form) in "Ferris Beuller's Day Off" and as one of the more valuable Ferrari models. This year's Gooding & Company auction at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance have has cemented that with a high-dollar example. This 250 is indeed a real example, one of just 56 ever made, and only 37 with those desirable covered headlights. This was the first time this particular example was ever offered for sale to the public in its 55-year history, and it fetched $17.16 million at the Florida concours over the weekend. That's not quite enough to take the record for this highly sought-after model. According to Sports Car Market, that still belongs to the barn-find example that Artcurial sold last year for over $18 million. But it did beat its own pre-sale estimates, and was enough to top Gooding's list as well as that of Amelia Island. Related Video:   Gooding & Company Sets Amelia Island Record for Single Lot and Celebrates More Than $60 Million in Sales from its 2016 Amelia Island Auction - 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider Fetches $17,160,000, a Gooding & Company Record - Selections from The Jerry Seinfeld Collection Total More Than $22.2 Million AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (March 13, 2016) – Gooding & Company, the auction house acclaimed for selling the world's most significant and valuable collector cars with the tradition of presenting some of the greatest collections to ever come to market, realized $60,162,150 in a single day at the company's 2016 Amelia Island Auction. The most talked about event of the week did not disappoint, as President David Gooding and Auctioneer Charlie Ross sold 69 of 79 lots for an impressive 87% sales rate, which resulted in an astounding average price of $871,915 per car sold. The standing-room-only crowd also witnessed the company achieve nine new world auction benchmarks. There were highlights throughout the auction, including the $22,244,500 garnered by Selections from The Jerry Seinfeld Collection and the star of the day, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider which commanded a price of $17,160,000. "We are delighted with our auction results and are proud of the new auction records we have set, which demonstrates that there is a strong demand for high quality cars," stated David Gooding, President of Gooding & Company. "The room was electric from the beginning and the crowd's intensity only grew when Mr.

Maranello cracks down on rent-a-Ferrari rackets

A crackdown by policy makers in Maranello, Italy, means that visitors to Ferrari's headquarters and museum can't as easily experience the brand's famously sonorous engines for themselves. Several businesses in the city had rented the Prancing Horse's sports cars to tourists for brief drives, but the screaming powerplants got on locals' nerves enough to force new rules to curtail these joyrides. According to CNBC citing an Associated Press report, the various rental businesses had 37 Ferraris and offered a variety of packages to tourists. For example, a 10-minute drive in a F430 Spider was as inexpensive as 80 euros ($87 at current rates). The drivers wanted to get the most from their brief time at the wheel and often sped around the city. While there were no major accidents from the vehicles, the local cops still pulled over 450 of these folks through the first nine months of 2015. The new legislation in Maranello and Fiorano limits the times the test drives can happen and bans the companies from luring customers outside of the Ferrari museum. "We have lost 80 percent of business," the owner of one of these firms said in the report. The rental agencies already challenged the measures in court but lost. It doesn't offer quite the same experience, but Ferrari fans can still get the occasional earful from the brand's engines by staking out the Fiorano test track. We often see the company's future and sometimes classic models there making wonderful noises. Related Video: News Source: CNBCImage Credit: Marco Vasini / AP Photo Government/Legal Ferrari Driving Safety Performance Supercars test drive maranello