Rare Ferrari burnt out 60 years ago for sale at £1.2m

It’s little more than a buckled and corroded shell.

But it happens to be the shell of a rare Ferrari, so that means this wreck is expected to sell for more than £1.2million.

Also thrown in is an engine – though that comes from another car. The wreck is being described, with a touch of understatement, as an ‘intriguing restoration project’ for a car enthusiast.

The 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider caught fire after a crash while racing nearly 60 years ago. There are no wheels or interior and little trace of its red paint.

It could do 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds and boasted a top speed of 146mph. The car was used in track races in Europe including in the Imola Grand Prix, in Italy, the year it was made. 

It’s little more than a buckled and corroded shell. But it happens to be the shell of a rare Ferrari, so that means this wreck is expected to sell for more than £1.2million

The 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider caught fire after a crash while racing nearly 60 years ago. There are no wheels or interior and little trace of its red paint

Also thrown in is an engine – though that comes from another car. The wreck is being described, with a touch of understatement, as an ‘intriguing restoration project’ for a car enthusiast

In 1958 it was exported to the United States, taking part in races there and changing hands several times.

In 1963 its owner – according to the listing from RM Sotheby’s, a classic car seller that’s part owned by Sotheby’s – ‘replaced the original engine with an American V-8, a common practice at that time’.

The listing adds: ‘At some point over the following two years the Mondial was crashed and suffered fire damage.’

The listing says the shell changed hands several times, ‘preserved in its race-damaged condition’.

It is among 20 Ferraris for sale in RM Sotheby’s Lost and Found collection. Rob Myers, RM Sotheby’s CEO, said: ‘While a select group of Ferrari collectors knew about the existence of these extraordinary cars, the rest of the world remained unaware.

‘This represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for enthusiasts to acquire these iconic Ferraris.’

The estimate on the 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider is up to £1.27million ($1.6million) when the auction takes place in August in Monterey, California.