RM Sotheby’s has just revealed an early highlight of its flagship three-day Monterey sale taking place on August 15-17 this year, held during the world-famous Monterey Car Week. The 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta is heading to the auction, estimated to fetch between $8,000,000 and $10,000,000, and (unusually for a car of this value) is offered without reserve.

In many ways the 250 SWB doesn’t yet command the prices that it deserves to. Coming right before the lauded 250 GTO, perhaps from the common perspective it is overshadowed by its younger sibling. Yet it has plenty going for it. Its power, light weight and fine handling ensured it continued Ferrari’s sportscar racing dominance, such as winning the Tour de France Automobile three years in a row. Furthermore it was a rare example of a car that simultaneously did both being a road car and being a racer superbly. Indeed it represented possibly the end of an era, of Ferraris that could be driven to the track then won with, even at high-profile events, applying little or no modification. The 250 GTO was very much more of a pure racer. Plus, as you would of course expect, the 250 SWB Berlinetta is wonderful to look at.

The SWB Berlinetta going under the hammer is chassis #3359 GT, with coachwork by Scaglietti. It’s rare as well, being one of only 40 steel body SWB Berlinettas built in the final production run during 1962; the attractive model was only made available to Ferrari’s top clients of the time. The car, powered by the latest Tipo 168/61 V12 engine, passed through a handful of Italian owners then one in the UK before heading to the US in the 1970s where it competed in historic racing events. Come the 1990s it returned to Europe, where it participated in five editions of the Tour Auto. In 2010 the Ferrari was acquired by noted Swiss collector Jean-Pierre Slavic, who commissioned its complete restoration, overseen by Ferrari Classiche.

Following this the car received Ferrari Classiche Certification. In 2012 it was invited to the exclusive Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it received the Mention of Honour award in the competitive Ferrari 250 Dynasty Class. Now under American ownership, the SWB is presented in exceptional condition as a must-have for any collection of the world’s best sports and GT cars.

“The presentation of truly one of the most exceptional 250 GT SWB examples extant at auction is a special opportunity, but the presentation of such a car without reserve is nearly unprecedented,” said Shelby Myers, car specialist and global head of private sales at RM Sotheby’s. “In 2018 we had the opportunity to sell a Ferrari 250 GTO for a world record price for any car at auction, and I believe the value gap between GTOs and SWBs is far too wide and that these cars represent tremendous value in today’s market. The 250 SWB is considered by many Ferraristi as one of the finest designs to ever come out of Maranello. Couple that with the fact that they are extremely well-balanced and have plenty of power on tap and they represent the epitome of 1960s Italian motoring. Chassis 3359 GT definitely has all the right criteria serious collectors should be looking for, as it is matching-numbers, Ferrari Classiche certified, brilliantly restored, and finished in one of the most attractive original color combinations”.

Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s