Just two years after the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO fetched $51.7 million to become the most valuable production car ever sold at auction, another one of just 36 examples is poised to break the record again on the auction block.
The 250 GTO—“GTO” acronym stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, or Grand Touring Homologated in Italian—was purpose-built with Ferrari’s famed 3.0-liter Colombo V12 to “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” and thereby play into Enzo Ferrari’s entrepreneurial ethos of dealing road cars to fund race car development. And win it did, achieving a hat trick of victorious seasons for the factory Scuderia Ferrari team from 1962 to 1964 in the FIA’s International Championship for GT Manufacturers. The first-place finishes occurred at elite endurance races like the Tour de France (in 1963 and 1964), 24 Hours of Le Mans (in 1962 and 1963) and the Nürburgring 1,000 km (in 1963 and 1964).
This particular model is the only example of 36 total 250 GTOs finished in “Bianco Speciale” white from the factory—the much more common red coat was worn by the aforementioned record setter. Rumor has it that an almost scandalous exception was made for its original buyer, British race team owner John Coombs. “It was a huge deviation from Ferrari’s strict color conventions—one that required quiet internal approval. It is widely believed that Alfredo Reali, Ferrari’s discreet liaison for bespoke and sensitive client requests, played a crucial role in securing this unprecedented exception,” Mecum writes.
According to Hagerty, Coombs, who had made a fortune selling Jaguars, may have even bought the vehicle to prompt the British marque to improve the E-Type’s racing capability. Coombs’ 250 GTO took a class win at the Guards Trophy at Brands Hatch and consistently notched podium performances throughout its racing career from 1962 to 1964. It almost always beat competing the Jags and perhaps even spawned the creation of the E-type Lightweight in 1963.
“The 250 GTO was equally at home on the track or on the road and was perhaps the last GT car produced in small series with this characteristic,” Andrea Modena, Head of Ferrari Classiche, previously told Maxim. “Among fans of the Ferrari marque, the 250 GTO rapidly achieved legendary status; it has become one of the icons in Ferrari’s history, and its fame has made it one of the most sought-after cars among collectors.”
If valuations are indicators, then the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO is the most sought-after car among collectors. It’s currently the most expensive vehicle listed in Hagerty’s entire price guide. An example in just “Good” condition comes in at just over $53 million—enough to crack the current sales record for a production vehicle, which, again, was also set by a 250 GTO. An “Excellent” example is worth $60.1 million, and one in show-worthy “Concours” condition clocks in at $72 million.
Needless to say: History will likely be made when sole white 250 GTO sells at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Florida auction in January 2026.
