2006 Ferrari 430 on 2040-cars

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How this Ferrari 250 GTE became Rome's most famous police car

We're used to seeing fancy cars gifted to or bought by certain international police forces today, but the story of this 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE goes well beyond a gift. Because Rome's anti-organized-crime unit, Squadra Mobile, was doing a terrific job in the early '60s, the Italian president asked what they wanted as a token of appreciation. The answer, meant as a joke, was "A Ferrari." The president, in all seriousness, got them two.
One was almost immediately destroyed during testing, the other remains in the care of Alberto Capelli today, whose father began attending military and government auctions just after World War II. Petrolicious visited Capelli to hear the 51-year-old tale of the most precious cop car you're going to see for a while, and it involves outlaws, a French gangster in a Citroën, a policeman who was offered a spot on the Ferrari factory team by Enzo himself, and more. It's a fantastic yarn, and you can watch the whole story below.

Weekly Recap: Ferrari pens a provocative F1 car of the future

Scuderia Ferrari unveiled its vision of the future for Formula One this week, revealing sketches of a sleek, muscular racecar. Called the Concept F1, Ferrari is showcasing the design to start a conversation about the next generation of Formula One cars and spur interest in the sport, which has been maligned for its unattractive racecars in recent years. The Concept F1 was penned by the company's in-house studio, Centro Stile Ferrari, with input from its aerodynamics department. Though the sketches look futuristic, the company says the design could be executed without changing F1 regulations. From its beginning, Ferrari's racecars have had both form and function, winning on the track and turning heads with everything from the 250 Testa Rossa, 330 P3, Michael Schumacher's single-seaters from the early 2000s and many others. That lineage led the Scuderia's leaders to survey the paddock, wring their hands and come up with the Concept F1. As Ferrari said on its website: "Our challenge was to create something that was – to put it short – better looking." It's a philosophy that was implemented for this season's car, the SF15-T. While not groundbreaking in appearance, Ferrari cleaned up the design, particularly up front, and the racecar now has a more attractive nose that delivers better aerodynamics. It's more of the same in back, where a tighter design creates more downforce. "This year's car is certainly an awful lot better looking than last year's car," Ferrari technical director James Allison said in a video on the Scuderia's website. The updates come as Ferrari, and all F1 teams, get a better handle on the extensive 2014 rule changes that brought back turbocharged engines and altered the aerodynamic regulations for the series. Less dramatic changes also are going into effect this year. Ferrari, which is coming off a disappointing fourth-place finish in the World Championship, is obviously looking to the future. Appearances have always mattered for the red cars. We'll see if they bring the Scuderia success this season and beyond. Other News and Notes Next-generation Chrysler Town & Country spied Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is hard at work on the next-gen Town & Country minivan, and our spy shooters have captured heavily covered prototypes during testing on the road. We can't tell anything about the exterior design, though we see glimpses of an instrument panel (which looks vaguely Dodge Charger-esque) and infotainment screen inside.

Fangio's Ferrari 290 MM should top $28 million at auction

Of all the legendary pilots that have driven for the Scuderia over the years, few carry the kind of clout that did one Juan Manuel Fangio. A five-time world champion from another era, Fangio won a couple dozen grands prix and a fair few sports car races as well, driving for the likes of Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and of course Ferrari. What you see here is the car that Enzo's outfit built especially for Fangio. And now it's going up for auction, where it's anticipated – with good cause – to fetch big bucks. This 1956 Ferrari 290 MM – chassis number 0626 – was designed for Fangio to drive in the Mille Miglia. It would be the last time he would compete in the event, before being scrapped the following year. Victory in the thousand-mile race once again eluded the legendary Argentinian with a fourth-place finish, achieved single-handedly. But that wasn't the end of the story for 0626. It would go on to be raced by Phil Hill at the Nurburgring, by Alfonso de Portago at the Rouen Grand Prix, by Wolfgang von Trips at the start of his career with Ferrari, and won the Buenos Aires 1000 KM in 1957. Victories like those helped Ferrari clinch the manufacturer's title in both 1956 and '57, campaigns in which the 290 MM played an integral part. One (and arguably the best) of only four examples made, 0626 was never crashed during its decorated career. After its retirement from the Scuderia, it made its way through the hands of numerous collectors and racers on both sides of the Atlantic. It spent 34 years in the Mas du Clos collection of Pierre Bardinon before being acquired by its current owner, who in turn is now putting it up for auction. It will feature as part of RM Sotheby's upcoming Drive by Disruption sale in New York on December 10, where it is expected to sell for over $28 million. That would make it the most valuable car ever handled by the venerated auction house, outshining the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spider it sold at Monterey in 2013 for $27.5 million. Of course it's not the only lot consigned for the Manhattan event. It'll be joined by a spectacular blue 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial that's expected to fetch around $6 million, as well as a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato (~$16m) and a Lamborghini Concept S (~$3m), to name just a few highlights on the horizon.