Owner of $38.5 million Ferrari reveals identity: 'It's the top of the mountain, the last infinity stone of the collection'
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $38.5 million, setting a new record for a Mecum auction and entering the collection of famed David Lee, one of the world's leading Ferrari collectors.
Ferrari 250 GTO from 196 PHOTO: instagram/David Lee
The car, the only example that left the factory in the white “Bianco Speciale” shade, stands out for its authenticity: it has never undergone a major restoration, only being lightly refreshed with paint over the decades.
Before this transaction, the Ferrari was part of the collection of Jon Shirley, former president of Microsoft, who carefully preserved it, according to italpassion.fr.
David Lee is famous in the world of Ferrari enthusiasts for the unusual way in which he classifies his cars: the red models are called “ketchup”the yellow ones “mustard”and the other colors fall into the “vegetables”.
His collection includes about 20 cars and is valued at over $100 million.
The auction at Mecum Auctions was one of the most spectacular in recent years, with dozens of cars sold for over a million dollars each.
During the auction of the Ferrari 250 GTO, the buyer's identity was initially unknown, the transaction being made over the phone, but a few days later it was revealed that David Lee was the new owner.
On social media, the collector described the purchase as “wowmountainside” and “the last infinity stone” in the Ferrari universe, emphasizing that the 250 GTO represents the fulfillment of a collection objective: owning a legendary example that completes the series of Ferrari's most important supercars.
“I am proud to be a part of Ferrari history as the newest custodian of this masterpiece. I have been collecting for a long time and have had many goals. But the top of the mountain, the last infinity stone of the Ferrari collection is the 250 GTO. I am humbled and honored to have reached this goal”he said
While $38.5 million is a record for a Mecum auction, it falls short of the all-time record for a Ferrari 250 GTO, held by chassis 4153GT, which sold in 2013 for $52 million.
