1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti

With its outstanding engineering, perfectly sketched lines, charismatic proportions, breathtaking race results and great drivers, the 335 S perfectly symbolizes Ferrari in the 1950s. The heart of sporting Italians beat to the rhythm of the Mille Miglia, which was to them “the greatest race in the world.” In 1956, Ferrari entered a new V12 sports racer along with their 4-cylinder cars to contest the event. The new 290 MM featured an overhead-cam, dual-ignition, 340-hp, 3.5-liter V12 engine derived from Ferrari’s Grand Prix single-seaters. The engine powered Eugenio Castellotti to victory. The 290 MM evolved into the quad-cam 290 S, then into a 3.8-liter 315 S. The final evolution of the line was the 4-liter Tipo 141 335 S. This four-cam, double-ignition, six-carb, 380-hp monster represented the most advanced engineering of its day. Ferrari chassis 0674 was built as a 315 S barchetta. After a run in the 1957 Sebring and Mille Miglia, 0674 was returned to the factory and upgraded to 4-liter 335 S specs for the Le Mans 24 Hours race. After Le Mans, the Ferrari then went back to the factory again, where the front was modified in the style of the 250 Testa Rossa “pontoon fender,” to help cool the brakes for the Venezuelan Grand Prix. Venezuela was a battle between Ferrari and Maserati for the World Championship. The Maseratis all retired, clearing the way for Ferrari, who finished 1-2-3-4. The 2nd-place finish of Hawthorn-Musso in chassis 0674 played a major part in winning the title. Luigi Chinetti then bought 0674, sending it to Cuba, where, sporting the NART livery of blue with a white stripe, it drove to victory with Masten Gregory and Stirling Moss at the controls. After Cuba, Chinetti rented the car for various races — often with Gaston Andrey and Lance Reventlow as drivers. They had some excellent results, including a victory in the Road America 500 and on the circuits of Thompson and Watkins Glen. In 1960, the Ferrari was sold to Robert N. Dusek. Dusek sold the car to Pierre Bardinon, one of the most knowledgeable Ferrari collectors in the world. Bardinon sent the car to Fantuzzi to be restored to its original, non-pontoon configuration. The pontoon nose was restored for display and accompanies the car. Despite several lucrative offers, Bardinon refused to sell the 335 S. He saw this car as an essential part of his collection. It is rare that a racing car of this caliber is available for purchase. It has a clear and direct history, with no uncertainty and a small number of owners. Such provenance, racing history and historical importance makes this one of the most important Ferraris in the history of motorsport.

SCM Analysis

Detailing

Vehicle:	1957 Ferrari 335 Sport Scaglietti
Years Produced:	1957–58
Number Produced:	Four
Original List Price:	N/A
SCM Valuation:	Median price (one sale, this car), $35,067,816. This is also the high sale for this very rare car
Tune Up Cost:	$4,000
Distributor Caps:	$450. The car requires four
Chassis Number Location:	Left frame member by steering box
Engine Number Location:	Right rear
Club Info:	Ferrari Club of America
Website:	http://www.ferrariclubofamerica.org
Alternatives:	1959 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, 1956 Maserati 300S, 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy
Investment Grade:	A

This car, Lot 170, sold for $35,930,639, including buyer’s premium, at Artcurial’s Rétromobile auction in Paris, FRA, on February 5, 2016.

If you live across the pond, Artcurial’s French sale of chassis 0674 makes it the most expensive automobile ever to sell at auction. In the new colony, though, the sale fell short of the title by a few million dollars.

The discrepancy is the result of currency exchange rates, time and location. Bonhams sold a Ferrari 250 GTO for $38,115,000 at their Quail Lodge sale during the 2014 Monterey Car Week. At that time, the euro and pound were much stronger against the dollar, and the converted values were less than the 335 S sale. As sales are normally quoted in the seller’s currency, the GTO still has the top-dollar value.

Death forces breakup of collection

The exact story of the sale of the 335 S is a bit muddy and depends on your ability to read French court records.

The general theme goes that while Pierre Bardinon was good at making money, he was poor at estate planning. When he died in 2012, he left his children with a huge estate — and not enough cash to pay taxes. The problem fueled infighting among the children and eventually ended up in the French courts.

The French tax collector took a keen interest in the estate and pushed for prompt payment of the taxes. The result was that part of the estate would have to be sold to satisfy taxes. Moreover, to protect France’s interest, the assets had to be sold in France by a French auction company. The 335 S became the target of the sale, with Artcurial as the auction house.

One of three and a superstar

The 335 S is an exceptional car with a notable history. It was the superstar of Bardinon’s collection of stars. There were only four 335 S Ferraris built, and with one destroyed, only three are left.

Well-heeled collectors own the other two 335 S Ferraris, so 0674 may be the only 335 S available during the next couple decades.

The 21-year-old son of a prominent Midwestern collector, assisted by a prominent auctioneer, won the bid. The car will be going to a home just miles from the buyer of the ex-Bardinon 290 MM from December’s RM/Sotheby’s auction.

In a twist worth noting, following the sale, stories popped up that soccer star Lionel Messi bought the car. An Italian real-estate company hijacked the story by releasing a statement claiming they had made the deal. It was a juicy story that got picked up by news outlets that should have known better — including the Washington Post.

An under-the-radar star car

This was a trophy purchase, but I think one of opportunity over ego. If the buyer was looking for recognition, this is the wrong car. Only a minute percentage of the automotive community would recognize the car, and an even smaller number would know anything about its accomplishments.

This car is the van Gogh that has been in a family collection for a generation — not the “Mona Lisa” that half the world would recognize.

Owning this car is about owning the object of imagination. It’s sitting in the seat and knowing some of the greatest drivers in history sat right where you are. It’s looking over the windshield and seeing the checkered flag at Cuba.

This was a purchase of passion over investment.

Artcurial estimated the sale at 28 million to 32 million euros. The car sold for a little over 32 million euros. It beat the sale of the very similar ex-Bardinon 290 MM by about $7.5 million. The numbers are consistent with expectations, with no drama seen.

The real story here is estate planning. As seen in some other car collections, Bardinon’s joy became an albatross to his family after his death. As a result of his failure to plan, he subjected his family to years of unnecessary anguish and expense.

Should you be in a similar position, the time to plan is now. ♦

(Introductory description courtesy of Artcurial Motorcars.)