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That aluminum-bodied '69 Ferrari Daytona barn find sold for $2.2M

Barn finds are a strange thing. The idea that some beautiful or rare car can simply be locked away and forgotten about seems unthinkable to many enthusiasts. Still, there's entire communities and several television shows dedicated to unearthing these vehicles. One of the most notable finds in recent memory was the sole road-going aluminum-bodied 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona in existence. The car just sold for about $2.2 million at an RM Sotheby's auction this past weekend. According to the auction house, this is the 30th of just over 1,200 Ferrari Daytonas ever built. This particular car was found stowed away in Japan, having sat collecting dust and dirt for nearly 40 years. While five aluminum-bodied Daytonas were built for racing, this is the only known street car with aluminum body panels. According to an evaluator, the engine and transaxle are both numbers matching. The odometer reads 36,390 kilometers, or about 22,611 miles. That number is believed to be accurate. All the aluminum body panels wear the correct Scaglietti markings. This car has Rosso Chiaro paint over Nero leather (red over black). Other options include Plexiglas headlamps and power windows. The interior is said to be in surprisingly good shape. The car sold for just more than its initial estimate. Let's hope the new owner gets it back into running condition. Related Video: Featured Gallery 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta Alloy View 25 Photos News Source: RM Sotheby's Ferrari Auctions Coupe Classics

Sebastian Vettel says he's struggling with his Ferrari in Silverstone

SILVERSTONE, England — Sebastian Vettel said he had struggled to get the right feel for his Ferrari after qualifying a disappointing sixth at the British Grand Prix on Saturday. The four-times world champion, and last year's race winner at Silverstone, will line up a row behind Monegasque teammate Charles Leclerc, in third, and with both the Red Bulls also ahead of him. It was the third race in a row that Vettel had been out-qualified by the 21-year-old, in Leclerc's first full season with Ferrari. Leclerc was on pole in Austria, with Vettel 10th after being sidelined with a power unit problem, and third behind the Mercedes drivers in France while the German was seventh. "I think I just struggled to extract what was in the car," Vettel told reporters. "I just couldn't get the right feel. Not happy with how it went. "I should be more competitive in the race but lately (I've) been struggling a little bit to just extract that one lap, get a great feel for the car. It's been a bit up and down the whole weekend. "It didn't look great on my side," he added of the session on a cold and overcast afternoon. "I struggled to feel the car today and just couldn't get on top of it. It wasn't the best day," added Vettel. Valtteri Bottas starts on pole for Mercedes with five-times world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton, the overall leader, alongside on the front row. The champions have won eight of nine races so far, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen taking the other. "Mercedes should be the favorites but I think we have a fair battle with the Red Bulls and take it from there," commented Vettel, who has not won a race since Belgium last August. "For sure Mercedes is very strong so they will be difficult to beat." Motorsports Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Racing Vehicles Sebastian Vettel

Ferrari profits rise 46 percent in 2018

MILAN — Italian luxury sports car maker Ferrari says profits last year rose 46 percent, driven by a surge in V12 sales and vehicle personalization. Ferrari on Thursday reported 2018 net profit of 787 million euros ($904 million), up from 537 million euros the previous year. Shipments rose 10 percent to 9,251 vehicles, while net revenues were flat at 3.4 billion euros. Ferrari set a forecast for 3-percent revenue growth to over 3.5 billion euros. It did not provide a shipment forecast. Sales of 12-cylinder models surged 20 percent, led by the 812 Superfast, while sales of 8-cylinder models rose 8 percent. Sales rose across the globe, with double-digit increases posted in Europe and greater China. The carmaker said fourth-quarter profits rose 40 percent to 191 million euros.Related Video: