The "most significant racing Ferrari in existence" is for sale

Welcome to a Ferrari of perhaps unrivalled specialness. This 1963 275 P, which bears chassis no. 0816, won Le Mans outright in 1963 and 1964, making it one of very few cars (and the one and only Ferrari) to have won the mother of all motor races twice.

It wasn’t even supposed to race the first time around. Ferrari was going to send Chassis 0814, but a month before Le Mans it was involved in a crash during practice at the Nürburgring. Unable to repair the car in time, Chassis 0816 was sent in its place.

After its exploits at Le Mans, 0816 was sent to the States, where it was driven by Ferrari factory driver John Surtees in the Canadian and LA Times grands prix. Then it was sent back to Italy and prepared for the two works outings it would have in 1964 – the 12 Hours of Sebring and its second Le Mans 24 Hours. Of course it won both.

Chassis 0816 was sold to Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team in late ’64. In 1970 it was sold to the Mas du Clos Collection in France, where it’s lived ever since. Now up for sale by RM Sotheby’s Private Sales department, Chassis 0816 has never been restored and still possesses its original engine, gearbox and body.

RM calls it “the most significant sports racing Ferrari in existence”, and refuses to release the asking price. But there’s no doubt in our minds it’s seven figures long.