A rare 1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti has gone under the hammer for 32,075,200 €, making it the most expensive car ever auctioned. The previous record was held by a Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta that fetched €28.5 million in 2014.
The sale took place at the Artcurial auction that was held on two of the days of the ongoing Retro Exhibition in Paris, France. Fifty-nine automobiles were part of the auction lot, which saw over 1,600 registered bidders and combined sales worth €46.1 million.
The car belonged to Ferrari collector and businessman Pierre Bardinon, who passed away in 2012. His family is said to be involved in the leather goods industry and Bardion’s fleet had over 50 Ferraris. He bought the 335 Sport S in 1970 and it was auctioned so that his family could pay the hefty inheritance tax.
Only four units of 335 Ferrari S were ever produced by the Italian carmaker. It was driven by Sir Stirling Moss at the 1958 Cuba Grand Prix and by Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant at the Sebring 12 Hours in 1957. Meanwhile, it also took part in the Mille Miglia and set a lap record at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The car was initially built with a 260 hp 3.8-liter V8 but Ferrari increased the engine size later to increase power output to 400 hp from a staggering 4.1-liter motor. It’s not road-legal as it will fail to fulfill several legal regulations but is arguably one of the most coveted classic cars in the world.
In case you are wondering, not much about the new owner was revealed apart from that he was an “international buyer”.
