The Last V-12 Ferrari to Win Le Mans Is Up for Sale

This 1964 Ferrari 250 LM is expected to fetch over $26 million when it hits the auction block in February

Ferrari may not have realized it at the time, but when this stunning 250 LM crossed the finish line at Le Mans in 1965, it marked the end of an era. After securing nine wins in the prestigious 24-hour race—five of them consecutively during the early 1960s—Ferrari wouldn’t claim another overall Le Mans victory for 58 years. When they finally did, the winning car’s engine had only half the cylinders of this iconic model.

This, of course, is a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti. If you’re fortunate enough to have deep pockets, you could acquire it through RM Sotheby’s when it goes up for auction next year. According to the listing, this is chassis 5893, the sixth 250 LM ever built. It was delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors and raced by Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART), securing an overall win at Le Mans in 1965. It remains the only Ferrari to claim an overall Le Mans victory with a private team.

The auction description highlights that this is the only Ferrari built during Enzo Ferrari’s leadership to compete in six 24-hour races. Its final race was the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970, after which it was acquired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, where it has remained ever since. The car is reported to be “highly original,” with only occasional maintenance performed over the years to keep it running smoothly. Under the hood is the original, numbers-matching Tipo V-12 engine that powered it to victory at Le Mans, paired with the correct gearbox.

This alone would intrigue collectors, but being the last V-12 Ferrari to win Le Mans before the dominance of the GT40 adds an extra layer of appeal. RM Sotheby’s has set a pre-auction estimate of $26 million, but we’ll find out the final selling price in February, when it will headline the auction house’s Paris 2025 event.

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  • Growing up with a father who was a mechanic I had an appreciation for cars and motorcycles from an early age. I shared my first bike with my brother that had little more than a 40cc engine but it opened up a world of excitement for me, I was hooked. As I grew older I progressed onto bigger bikes and...

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