One-of-a-Kind 70th Anniversary Ferrari 488 GTB Hits Auction Block
There’s no such thing as an “ordinary” Ferrari 488 GTB. However, we think you’ll agree that this one is considerably more special than most.
This 2018 Ferrari 488 GTB 70th Anniversary is one of just 70 produced. Ferrari Tailor Made specially painted each one of the 70th Anniversary 488s to pay homage to historic race cars from Ferrari’s past. Each one is unique.
This particular car, number 34 out of 70, was painted to resemble the 250 LM campaigned at Le Mans in 1965 by Dieter Spoerry and Armand Boller. It finished 6th overall in that race.
Scuderia shields on the fenders are a desirable feature of any Ferrari. On newer cars, the fenders are typically stamped to accept them, which means that adding them after the fact is obvious — and generally frowned upon.
However, this 488 GTB does not have stamped fenders, because Tailor Made opted to instead airbrush larger shields by hand. The 250 LM race car featured large Scuderia shields — much larger than the ones that were optional on the standard 488. Large, hand-painted shields like this one were common on Ferrari race cars of the 1960s.
Other details inspired by the 1965 Le Mans racer are the matte white wheels, the single white stripe over the Rosso Scuderia body, and the #27 meatball racing number. Inside, the 488 GTB is trimmed in the same blue “Jeans Aunde” fabric commonly seen in Ferrari race cars of that era.
A Modern Tribute
Of course, carbon fiber interior trim was not originally seen on the 250 LM racer, but there’s plenty of it here. The bare, uncarpeted metal floors are very reminiscent of the original race car, however.
Our favorite detail of this car is the special 70th anniversary side badging. The badge features the famous cavallino, a large number 70, and the years “1947-2017.” It might be our favorite anniversary badge of all time.
This car, having covered just 150 or so miles since new, is a treasured collectible. It will be offered at RM Sotheby’s Paris 2020 auction on February 5.
Since so few of these cars were produced — and each one is unique — it’s hard to place a value on it. However, we did manage to find another 70th Anniversary 488 GTB at a dealership in Florida.
This particular example, painted in the beautiful shade of Rosso Barchetta to resemble the 1951 Ferrari 340 America, has similar miles to the auction car seen here. The price of this rare piece of history? Roughly $420,000.
Photos: RM Sotheby’s
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