A rare one of a kind La Ferrari is auctioned to help those in the earthquake zones of Italy.

The other night, a prized LaFerrari was sold at auction for $7 Million to benefit the reconstruction of Central Italy in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of 2016. 

The auction was held in conjunction with RM Sotheby’s and in collaboration with the National Italian American Foundation's Earthquake Relief Fund. The price achieved represents a record for the most valuable 21^st Century automobile ever sold at auction.

All proceeds from the auction will go toward the reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by the earthquake. 

RM Sotheby’s has graciously donated their expertise to raise the highest amount possible. The decision to donate a LaFerrari from the company’s own collection for this cause  was announced on August 31^st 2016 on the occasion of the bilateral talks between the Italian and German governments that took place at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy.

The LaFerrari boasts a unique livery with a distinctly Italian theme: a red exterior with a white dream line on the hood and rear windshield. A  small Italian flag on the hood serves as a reminder that this is a gift by Ferrari to its home country. The car will also feature a commemorative plaque.

USA - The very first Shelby Cobra, CSX 2000, Set for R.M. Sotherby's Monterey Podium.

• THE MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN SPORTS CAR TO EVER BE OFFERED FOR SALE:
• THE VERY FIRST SHELBY COBRA, CSX 2000, SET FOR RM SOTHEBY’S MONTEREY PODIUM

• Unprecedented sale: RM Sotheby’s presents the first Shelby Cobra—CSX 2000—at its flagship Monterey, California sale, August 19-20
• Offered by the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust, CSX 2000 was owned from new by the legendary Carroll Shelby and has never left his care
• RM’s Monterey sale to also feature the 1965 Shelby Cobra 427, CSX 3178, also retained from new by the great Carroll Shelby and offered from the Carroll Shelby Foundation
• Further information, images and a frequently updated list of entries for RM Monterey available at www.rmsothebys.com 

CSX 2000, the most important modern American car—period—and a vehicle that revolutionized the automotive world, will cross the auction block this summer as part of RM Sotheby’s flagship Monterey sale, August 19–20, in California. Offered for sale by the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust, the iconic Cobra was constructed and kept from new by the legendary Carroll Shelby and never left his ownership.

A truly unprecedented event, its presentation in Monterey will command the attention of the global collector community.

The original Shelby Cobra, CSX 2000 marked the start of Carroll Shelby’s incredible automotive legacy. The car was born in 1962 in a small garage in Santa Fe Springs, California, after Carroll Shelby, joined by a handful of hot-rodders, shoehorned Ford’s new, lightweight, high revving 260-cubic inch V-8 into a modified AC Ace chassis. 

The result—a fierce sports car armed with incredible performance in a lithe, stylish package—became the cornerstone on which the great Carroll Shelby set the world on fire and forever changed the course of automotive history.

“When it comes to American sports cars, CSX 2000 is without peers. Its historical significance and impact on the global sports car scene cannot be overstated,” says Shelby Myers, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby’s. “In the automotive world, CSX 2000 was the shot heard ‘round the world; it revolutionized not only American racing, but the greater auto industry as a whole. 

Had Carroll Shelby never decided to squeeze that high performance V-8 into it’s engine bay, there would be no Cobra and certainly no Shelby American, nor GT40, nor the others that followed. 

The automotive landscape and sports cars as we know them would be very different.”

CSX 2000 played a multitude of roles during its early days. As the only one of its kind, it was not only used in testing and development, but also driven by the motoring press, and shown in cities across the U.S. to drum up interest and sales for the fledgling company, Shelby American, Inc. 

During this time, thanks to clever marketing, Shelby also convinced the public that Cobra production was in full swing; the car was repainted a different color for almost every appearance to give the impression that Shelby had more than one car in their inventory. In reality, it remained the first and only Cobra for seven months. CSX 2000’s technical specifications were also extraordinary. 

A 1962 road test by Road & Track revealed a 0–60 mph sprint in just 4.2 seconds, a standing quarter-mile run in 13.8 seconds at 112 mph, and a top speed of 153 mph. 

Throughout its life, even after Cobra production ended, CSX 2000 never shied away from public view, nor did it change ownership. It has been featured in countless books and magazines, continually driven and critiqued in road tests, and a frequent motor show starlet. It was even used for a period of time by employees at the Carroll Shelby School of High Performance Driving. 

To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Shelby Cobra in 2012, CSX 2000 took center stage at some of the country’s most prominent events that year—the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion included. 

Since then, it has been a prominent and much-admired display at the Shelby Heritage Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Carroll and Rob Myers discussed Cobra #1 many times, and they were good friends. Their agreement that Rob would offer the car for Carroll’s Trust, after he was gone, was a very emotional one for both of them,” states Joe Conway, Co-Trustee with Neil Cummings of the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust. 

“Neil Cummings and I are now simply carrying out Carroll’s wishes, with no disrespect meant to the other individuals who meant so much to Carroll and did so much for his business and his Foundation over the years.”

Shelby Myers, on behalf of RM Sotheby’s adds, “We feel both incredibly honored and privileged to have been entrusted with CSX 2000’s sale by the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust. 

It is, without exception, the single most important and history-rewriting sports car ever offered at auction, after over 50 years of ownership and without ever leaving the care of its founding father. 

Supremely original and with extraordinary history, we’re beyond thrilled to celebrate and present this national treasure in Monterey this August.”

As part of a fantastic showcase celebrating 50 years of Shelby heritage, RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale will also offer the 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra, CSX 3178, on behalf of the Carroll Shelby Foundation. Another car in single-ownership with Carroll Shelby from new, CSX 3178 was fitted with a rare automatic transmission for his personal driving use. 

Also set for the RM Monterey podium, a 1999 Shelby Series I Roadster, CSX 5064, finished in Centennial Silver with Candy Apple Blue stripes, and sporting only 2,637 miles, and Carroll Shelby’s personal 1986 Dodge Shelby GLHS Omni, GLHS 086, showing just 7,733 miles, both of which are offered from the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust.  

A tradition spanning more than 30 years, RM Sotheby’s annual Monterey auction, held during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance week, returns to the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center, August 19-20. In total, some 100 blue-chip automobiles are expected to go under the gavel during the two-evening sale.

RM Sotheby’s to sell ‘last of the line’ Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider at its Monaco sale, during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend

• RM Sotheby’s offers the ‘last of the line’ Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider at its Monaco sale, 14 May, during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend
• The only NART Spider sold new in Europe, and the third-to-last 275-series Ferrari built, chassis no. 11057 is set to be one of the most valuable automobiles offered at auction in 2016
• Additional highlights for RM’s exclusive, biennial Monaco auction include rare endurance racers such as a Peugeot 908 Le Mans Prototype and a road-going Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution
• Quattroruote Collection joins RM Sotheby’s diverse Monaco docket and will be offered as a prelude to the main sale
• RM Monaco digital catalogue now available online: http://bit.ly/1WDaJ1m   

RM Sotheby’s, the world’s leading collector car auction house for investment-quality automobiles, is delighted to announce the addition of an ultra-rare and highly desirable 1968 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider to its Monaco auction, 14 May. 

Held during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend, the single-day auction features over 100 handpicked automobiles and select motorcycles, as well as the stand-alone, bespoke sale of the Quattroruote Collection. 

The 1968 275 GTS/4 NART Spider, chassis no. 11057, is unquestionably one of the most important road-going Ferraris in history, substantially rarer than virtually all of its iconic colleagues. Only ten were ever built as part of an ingenious collaboration between American Ferrari importer extraordinaire Luigi Chinetti and Enzo Ferrari, bearing the race-winning moniker of Chinetti’s North American Racing Team. 

A fixture in the most glamorous, jet-setting locales around the world, the model itself also catapulted itself to instant automotive immortality as a result of its association with Steve McQueen, whose dapper character Thomas Crown, drove one on screen. 

The example on offer is all the more special, as it is not only Ferrari Classiche certified and matching numbers, it is the last of the ten built, the only one delivered new to Europe, and the third from last 275-series Ferrari of any kind constructed. 

The dark red metallic finish and beige interior are paired beautifully with the throaty 330-horsepower V-12 engine, and the car will stun onlookers when set against the dramatic backdrop of Monaco’s skyline. 

This incredible Ferrari will be one of the most valuable automobiles offered at auction in 2016 (Est. expected to fetch in excess of €19 million).

“It is a privilege to present this NART Spider, not only because of its importance and rarity, but also because its offering at auction is such an extraordinary event. 

Ownership of a NART Spider represents membership in a club of only nine other enthusiasts around the world,” said Rob Myers, Chairman and CEO, RM Sotheby’s. “If a Ferrari is the choice of car connoisseurs, then the NART Spider is the choice of Ferrari connoisseurs.” 

No less than 21 Ferraris, including the 275 NART Spider, are poised for RM’s upcoming Monaco event. Among other notable entries ready to bask in the Monaco sunshine is a 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet, chassis 0227 EL, one of just four bodied by Vignale. 

Painted in black with a distinctive red leather interior, this handsome 212 has led a jetsetter lifestyle and is eligible for such prestigious events as the Mille Miglia Storica and the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (Est. €1.250.000 – €1.500.000). 

Meanwhile, another V-12-powered drop-top also set for RM’s Monaco stage is a stunning Ferrari Classiche-certified 1972 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider,chassis no. 15535. One of just 18 original LHD European-specification spiders, the featured Daytona has covered just 27,000 km from new (Est. €2.400.000 - €2.800.000). 

For the ultimate Ferrari aficionado looking to stand out in Monaco’s yacht-lined harbour, RM’s Monaco catalogue also includes an ultra-rare, avant-garde 1990 Riva Ferrari 32, hull no. 28; striking in its F1-inspired, signature Ferrari Rosso Corsa red hull, the boat was designed to reach speeds of up to 100 kph (Est. €180.000 - €220.000).

RM’s biennial Monaco sale has quickly become one of Europe’s leading collector car auctions, with the very best automobiles lining the principality’s famous Le Sporting venue. In keeping with the location and the event’s timing during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend, motorsport greats are always a strong feature of the sale. 

Highlighting this year’s catalogue are the previously announced 1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta(Est. expected to fetch approximately €7.500.000) and the road-going 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution (Est. €2.700.000 - €3.000.000), both of which have spectacular endurance racing provenance. Newly announced for the sale is an incredible La Sarthe legend, the ex-Team Peugeot Total 2008 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype, chassis no. 908-05. 

One of two chassis built for the 2008 season, the featured Peugeot was driven to second place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year by Jacques Villeneuve, Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene, before winning the Petit Le Mans in 2009. 

Boasting a groundbreaking HDi FAP clean-exhaust diesel-power V-12 engine, its upcoming sale provides serious collectors and historic racing participants the opportunity to acquire one of the Le Mans prototype class’ most successful and unique entrants (Est. €1.200.000 - €1.600.000).

As a prelude to the main auction on 14 May, RM will present the Quattroruote Collection during a separate sale session earlier in the day. An eclectic group of 39 vehicles, including automobiles, motorcycles and carriages, the Quattroruote Collection represents the carefully curated cars of one of the most famous names in Italian motoring journalism, Gianni Mazzocchi, and his family. 

The founder of Quattroruote magazine, the late Mr. Mazzocchi was an automobile enthusiast who appreciated fine engineering, eventually bringing together his purchases in a museum at his publishing company headquarters in Milan. 

Reflecting the family’s desire to tell the history of the automobile, the selection of cars on offer spans everything from a beautiful Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet to a humble 1951 Fiat 500 C ‘Topolino’. Featuring coachwork by Gangloff, the Bugatti T57 is an historically important car, having been the company demonstrator of Bugatti racing legend Jean-Pierre Wimille, as well as one of the 11 late-production chassis produced in the autumn of 1938 as a 1939 model. 

Currently finished in cream and dark green, it remains in authentic order with its original engine (Est. €500.000 – €600.000). 

The collection also features a rare 1930 Hispano-Suiza H6B Coupé Chauffeur, an imposing pre-war car from the great Spanish company, well-known for its large and luxurious cars built for the wealthiest of pre-war society (Est. €220.000 – €280.000). 

The Quattroruote Collection will cross the podium at 12 noon on 14 May, followed by RM’s traditional evening Monaco sale from 18.00.