A Ferrari that was one the most important cars ever produced by the Italian manufacturer is on sale for upwards of $13 million (£9.7 million).
Chassis number 0557 GT, a long-wheelbase Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta, is the car that gave birth to the legendary “Tour de France” or TdF name, after a landmark victory in the 1956 Tour de France Automobile rally.
Like its cycling namesake, the Tour de France Automobile was among the toughest events of its era, covering some 2,800 kilometres of racing across France. It combined circuit races, hill climbs and sprint events, with stages at famous venues including Le Mans, Reims and Montlhéry. In September 1956, the Ferrari was entered by Marquis Alfonso de Portago, one of the most colourful figures in post-war European sport.
The Spanish aristocrat and godson of King Alfonso XIII, was an accomplished racing driver, Olympic-level athlete and international celebrity. Sharing driving duties with his friend Ed Nelson, he dominated the event. The pair won five of the six circuit races and secured overall victory, defeating strong opposition that included Stirling Moss in a factory Mercedes-Benz 300 SL.
The achievement was so decisive that Ferrari subsequently began referring to the 250 GT Berlinetta line as the “Tour de France”, a name that would become one of the most revered in the company’s history.
The success did not end there. In the months that followed, de Portago drove the same car to further victories in France, Italy and the United States. Historians say it is the only Ferrari known to have won every race it entered during its competitive career. Tragically, the car’s racing life with de Portago was cut short after he was killed in a crash at the Mille Miglia in 1957.
The Ferrari was later sold to British shipping magnate C Keith Schellenberg, who kept it largely out of the public eye for more than 20 years. Subsequent owners included prominent collectors in the United States and Europe, and the car underwent a meticulous restoration in the early 1990s.
It later achieved success of a different kind on the concours circuit, winning awards at events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California and the Louis Vuitton Concours in Paris.
In recent months, the car has received Ferrari Classiche certification, confirming that it remains highly original, with its matching-numbers engine, gearbox, axle and bodywork intact. Ferrari itself invited the car to be displayed at its Finali Mondiali event in Italy last year.
Experts say chassis 0557 GT stands apart even among the rarefied world of historic Ferraris. It is not only a racing champion and concours winner, but the very car that gave its name to an entire lineage, a legacy that continues today with modern limited-edition models such as the F12 TdF.
The car is being sold by RM Sotheby’s in Paris, France on 28 January.
