BLENHEIM, ON.- RM Auctions, announced a legendary 1964 Ferrari 250 LM as the latest premier offering for its flagship Monterey sale. The zenith of 1960s vintage Ferrari collecting, the rare and ultra-desirable 250 LM leads a superb roster of Italian sports cars slated for the RM sale, returning August 15–16 to California’s Monterey Peninsula.

A terrific example of Ferrari’s first mid-engine car, the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM on offer was the 19th of just 32 examples built. Completed in July 1964, it was sold new through Luigi Chinetti Motors to Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada, for personal use by dealership owner and casino mogul William Fisk Harrah. Unlike other examples, which were immediately put to competition use, Harrah elected to use the purebred racing car exclusively as a road car. He drove the car sparingly during his two years of ownership, accruing only 800 miles before passing it on to its second owner, Dr. Hart Isaacs, of Beverly Hills, who displayed the car at the 19th annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1969. The car passed through a well-documented string of owners over the ensuing years and was lightly campaigned at various historic racing and concours events, including the Goodwood Revival, before being reunited with its original engine. Recently restored to original factory specifications and certified by Ferrari Classiche, it was shown at the XIII Palm Beach Cavallino Classic in January 2014, where it received The Ferrari Classiche Cup and the award for the most outstanding 12-cylinder Ferrari at the show. A multi-million-dollar entry for RM’s upcoming sale, its offering presents a significant opportunity to acquire an example of one of the most legendary Ferraris of all time (Estimate available upon request).

“The 250 LM is an absolutely incredible car—rarer than a GTO, it is truly one of the greatest sports racing cars ever made. I’ve had the pleasure of driving these cars, and they are downright exhilarating. With the V-12 engine roaring behind you, it is a very poised, balanced, and thrilling ride,” says Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Auctions, Europe.

“The 250 LM consigned to our Monterey sale is particularly special not only because it’s Classiche certified but also because it was driven on open Nevada roads. One can only imagine the sight of that throaty V-12 blaring through the city streets, past the typical American cars of the mid-1960s, wearing Nevada license plates no less. It’s a great privilege to offer this legendary Ferrari at our upcoming Monterey auction, where we expect it will comfortably rank among the top sales of the week,” Girardo adds.

Cementing RM’s global leadership in the presentation of Ferraris at auction— holding seven of the top ten all-time auction records for the marque—the 250 LM will be joined in Monterey by the previously announced 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 formerly owned by Steve McQueen, along with no less than 24 other exceptional examples. Additional recently secured highlights include a pair of magnificently restored gran turismo Ferraris, a 1953 250 Europa and a 1963 400 SA LWB Coupe Aerodinamico Series II.

1953 Ferrari 250 Europa with Coachwork by Pinin Farina
Combining striking coachwork with performance, the 250 Europa on offer at RM’s Monterey sale is the fourth of only 21 units constructed. Delivered new to Italian industrialist Giovanni Latino, friend of coachbuilder Pinin Farina, the stunning coupe was immediately thrust into the public spotlight, shown at two period Italian concours events within its first year, the Concorso Satorie Romana in Rome and the XI Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como. After stints in both Italy and the United States, the Europa was eventually purchased by its current owner in 2006. Following a six-year, concours-level restoration by marque specialists, it made a triumphant return to the show field in July 2013, embarking on a second tour of Europe’s most prestigious concours events. The tour recently culminated back at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este—a venue at which the stunning automobile was shown 50 years earlier—where it was judged First in Class, a true testament to its exclusivity and the incredible quality of its restoration (Estimate: $1,900,000–$2,400,000).

1963 Ferrari 400 SA LWB Coupe Aerodinamico Series II with Coachwork by Pininfarina
Like the 250 Europa, this 400 Superamerica comes to auction in impeccable condition following a precision restoration. The sixth of 18 Series II long-wheelbase examples and the third of just four open-headlight Series II Aerodinamico Coupes, it was completed in April 1963 and imported into the United States in the late 1960s. Over the years, this rare matching-numbers 400 SA has passed through the hands of a group of well-respected collectors, one of whom owned this car for three decades. Freshly restored by marque specialists at Motion Products Inc., it is presented in breathtaking overall condition and has been certified by Ferrari Classiche, validating it as a factory-authenticated, matching-numbers example. It is accompanied for sale by proper manuals, a correct toolkit and jack, and extensive service documentation. The quintessential Maranello road car, it presents a terrific opportunity to experience the marque’s pinnacle of luxury (Estimate: $2,500,000–$3,000,000).

In addition to a superb roster of automobiles wearing the Cavallino Rampante, RM’s Monterey sale will also mark Maserati’s centennial —a theme that will be celebrated at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance—by shining the spotlight on no less than four vehicles from the luxury Italian marque. Leading the charge is a 1963 Maserati 5000 GT by Frua, one of only two produced of this design, and restored for noted collector John Bookout. Considered the most glamorous body style on Maserati’s most exclusive model, it was one of the most expensive production cars in the world at the time. It is expected to command between $2,200,000 and $2,900,000 at the upcoming August sale.

Additional highlights include:

· a striking 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder Prototype by Vignale, one of just three Vignale Spyder prototypes, presented in Navy with a Red interior and featuring particularly attractive and elaborate detailing (Estimate: $1,100,000–$1,500,000);

· a fresh, well-sorted 1962 Maserati 3500 GTi Spyder by Vignale, presented in its original shade of Argento Luna, with dark blue leather interior, and featuring a five-speed transmission and Borrani wire wheels (Estimate: $750,000–$1,000,000); and

· a beautifully restored 1961 Maserati 3500 GT Coupe Speciale by Frua, one of only two 3500 GT chassis bodied to variations of the Frua 5000 GT design and the only true “junior” 5000 GT known to survive. The car has been carefully restored by a marque expert following years of careful research and attention by devoted connoisseurs, and is ready to return to both the show field and the road (Estimate: $525,000–$725,000).