If you’re looking for a car that’s guaranteed to turn heads, you might want to consider this rare metallic gold Ferrari, which is going under the hammer at a RM Sotheby’s auction next week in London.
The car is one of only four Ferrari 512 BBs in the world to have been painted in the brand’s Oro Chiaro Metalizzato shade of gold, and the only one to have had its lustrous exterior paired with an interior trimmed with Testa di Moro brown leather. It is expected to fetch up to GBP£450,000 (Dh2.2 million) when it goes on sale on October 17.
The car is part of The Midas Touch, the first ever Sotheby’s sale dedicated entirely to gold. Also featuring a chair that belonged to Emperor Napoleon and a solid gold bust of Kate Moss by Marc Quinn, the auction will tell the story of this precious metal through the ages.
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“This Ferrari really encapsulates the excitement, luxury and pure extravagance associated with gold, and we’re delighted to have such a show-stopper lot in our very first gold sale. The uniqueness of this car makes this a fantastic opportunity for collectors and car enthusiasts alike,” says Constantine Frangos, head of The Midas Touch sale.
This Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer model was first introduced to the world at the 1971 Turin Salon and is credited with heralding a change in tastes from front engine to mid-engine sports cars. This particular car was sold through Maranello Piemont of Milano, and remained in Italy for its entire life, in the hands of just three private owners.
Its most recent owner purchased the car in 1997, by which time it had been repainted in red, with a beige interior. Upon its discovery in Turin in 2015, and in recognition of its unique status, the car was returned to Modena, Italy, to undergo a full restoration to its original colour scheme.
"We are delighted to offer the exquisite gold Ferrari 512 BB in Sotheby's The Midas Touch sale. The overall effect of the car's unique colour combination of gold over a brown leather interior is both stunning and quintessential of its period. The car has had a wonderful restoration and is perhaps one of the most desirable Berlinetta Boxers available to the market anywhere in the world," says Paul Darvill, RM Sotheby's car specialist.