Ferraris continue to be red-hot on the collector-car auction circuit these days, with values on certain rare models spiraling up into the tens of millions. A few of Ferrari’s finest are being auctioned off at the end of the month by Gooding & Company for more than a $1 million each.
Founder Enzo Ferrari began the tradition of building a particularly rare super car—better to call it a hypercar—every few years, beginning with the 1984 288 GTO. Next came the iconic F40 in 1987 to celebrate Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, the F50 in 1995 to celebrate its 50th, the Formula 1-inspired Enzo in 2002 and in 2015 the hybrid LaFerrari.
Beverly Hills-based Ferrari collector Tony Shooshani is selling eight of his Ferraris to make room for more, including three exceptionally pristine hypercars—an F40, F50 and Enzo.
I recently had the chance to experience all three and tear up some road with Shooshani before the cars headed to Scottsdale.
His favorite of the models he’s selling is the 1995 F50, which is estimated to go for $2.5 to $2.9 million. The car’s a 513-hp V12 rebel capable of zero to 60 in 3.6 seconds and a top end of 202 mph—which we sadly got nowhere near. But that screaming V-12 was still a thrill.
Of the 349 F50s Ferrari made, this one is especially important—it was one of the first cars built and was the official car at the Geneva Motor Show in 1995.
Shooshani’s F40, the rough-and-raw V-8 turbo-charged road car that is in truth a barely disguised race car, is estimated to sell for $1.3 to $1.6 million. It was the last of the hypercars that Enzo oversaw before his death in 1988.
The 650-hp V-12 Enzo is expected to go for $2.4 to $2.8 million.
Shooshani is one of Ferrari’s biggest and most loyal current collectors and travels to headquarters in Maranello regularly to engage in the development of the lastest, most advanced cars—access reserved for a very few prominent owners.
Just how tight is he with the Italians? Well, Ferrari built only six Sergios recently—a limited-production convertible sports car—and Shooshani got one of them. In what color? Azzurro Lolo—an official color Ferrari named for his daughter. And when he took delivery of his LaFerrari, the factory added a nice touch—they put “LaShooshani” in the same script as the car’s badge on his steering wheel.
I asked Shooshani, a real estate developer, a question: if he died and could come back as anyone else, who would he be? I half expected him to say Enzo, but instead he gleefully said, “I’d come back as me!”
DETAILS AND SPECS
Gooding & Co. Scottsdale Auctions
Friday January 29th at 11 am
Saturday January 30th at 11 am
Bidding and event information: goodingco.com
1987 Ferrari F40
Lot 120
Est. $1,300,000-$1,600,000
Specs:
3-liter, twin-turbo-charged V-8
478 hp, 425 lb-ft of torque
0 to 60 in 3.8 sec
Top speed: 201
5-speed manual transmission
One of 1,311 built
2002 Ferrari Enzo
Lot 122
Est. $2,400,000-$2,800,000
Specs:
6-liter V-12
651 hp, 485 lb-ft of torque
0 to 60 in 3.3 sec
Top speed: 218 mph
6-speed automated manual
One of 400 built
1995 Ferrari F50
Lot 126
Est. $2,500,000 to $2,900,000
Specs:
V-12
513 hp, 347 lf-ft of torque
6-speed manual
0 to 60 in 3.6 sec
One of 349 built
