Car Spotlight / Classic Ferraris
There's nothing like spotting a vintage Ferrari to really make you realize, you're someplace special. These aren't grocery getters, they're cars that you will only see in certain areas on earth during certain times of the year. Partly it's due to their fragile nature, but mostly it's due to their mind-boggling values. It's at this level in the market where cars are no longer viewed as cars, but as art pieces. So let's take a quick look at what the gallery of Laguna had on show this weekend.
Firstly I'll start with the newest candidate on this post, the 288 GTO. I've posted it yesterday, but it's worth showing again here.
Hard to imagine the original plans for this car was to rally in Group B. What an exciting scene that would have been to see! Sadly, Group B was shut down before it had a chance to show it's potential, but at least we got the first all-out performance Turbocharged Ferrari. (technically the 308 turbo was Ferrari's first turbo, but many don't really consider it to be any more significant than the NA 308's).
Next up is this Dino 308 GT4 which was interestingly converted into a race car. It took a while for me to see the beauty in its Bertone body, but I think it really has earned its stripes as another classic. Unlike the Mondial's... *shudder*
Now it's time to check out the real classics, the 250/275/330's.
Firstly we have the 250 LM, best known as the last Ferrari to win overall at Le Mans. It was also notable as one of the first mid-engined road cars Ferrari ever offered. It's not as pretty as some of Ferrari's other models, but it still has those great curves the 60's were known for.
And lastly, the two heavy hitters, the 250 TR and 250 GTO. Best known in the automotive world as two of Ferraris greatest sports/race cars and best known outside the automotive world as two of the most valuable cars in the world with every example capable of pulling in 7 digits.
Firstly the 250 TR or Testa Rossa. This car was the equivalent of the McLaren F1 in its day, absolutely dominating the racing circuits and giving Ferrari it's racing reputation away from F1.
This car also marks the end of a certain era in Ferrari, when some of the company's top talent left due to conflicts with the often difficult founder, Enzo himself. The team that was responsible for the TR also took many of the designs with them, leave Ferrari in a very tight spot.
Enter then, the hero. The savior. The "Greatest Ferrari of all Time". None other than the 250 GTO. This was the car that not only put Ferrari back on the map, but showed the world that Ferrari was still a force to be reckoned with in the racing world.
Perfect looks and successful racing hardware make it, to many people, the ultimate car. Part art, part racing legend, and part automotive history.
