Ferrari’s most valuable cars represent far more than speed or beauty. They trace the arc of Ferrari across endurance racing, Formula 1, and road-going performance. At the very top of the market, value is driven by a complete, verifiable story: period competition success, irreplaceable originality, factory-correct specification, and documentation that stands up to the scrutiny of the most sophisticated collectors.
As values rise and historically significant cars enter museums or long-term private collections, strategic financing has become an increasingly important tool for collectors competing at this level. Sotheby’s Financial Services often supports acquisitions at this level by helping collectors preserve liquidity and act quickly when a once-in-a-generation Ferrari appears, whether the opportunity is a historic racer, a modern halo car, or a crossover asset that sits at the intersection of motorsport and cultural history.
Against that backdrop, here are the five most expensive Ferraris sold at sold at RM Replica Shoes ’s in 2025 and early 2026, landmark examples that define the peak of the recent market.
| Model | Year | Why It Matters | Sale Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti | 1964 | Overall winner of the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans; only privateer Ferrari to win Le Mans overall | $36.321M |
| Ferrari Daytona SP3 “Tailor Made” | 2025 | One-off “599+1” Icona Series example created for charity; ultimate modern V-12 halo Ferrari | $26.000M |
| Ferrari F2001 “The Schumacher Crown Jewel” | 2001 | Monaco Grand Prix winner and World Championship–deciding Schumacher F1 chassis | $18.024M |
| Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti | 1960 | Covered-headlamp SWB California, Classiche-certified, among the most beautiful Ferraris ever built | $16.740M |
| Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto | 1993 | One of 19 competition-spec F40 LMs; 760 hp GTC configuration | $11.005M |
This 1964 Ferrari 250 LM sold for €34,880,000 in February 2025, confirming its status as one of the most historically important Ferraris ever offered publicly. It is the overall winner of the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt for Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team, and it remains the only privateer-entered Ferrari to win Le Mans overall. That result also sealed Ferrari’s milestone of six consecutive Le Mans victories, a streak that continues to shape the marque’s legend.
The car’s significance is reinforced by depth of documented competition use. It is the only Ferrari built during the Enzo Ferrari era to compete in six 24-hour races, including three Le Mans entries and three 24 Hours of Daytona appearances. It was displayed by Luigi Chinetti Motors and NART at the 1967 New York Automobile Show, adding period cultural provenance to its racing credentials.
Equally important is how well preserved the car remains. It retains its matching-numbers engine and gearbox and was kept for 54 years by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum after being purchased from Chinetti Motors a few months after finishing the 24 Hours of Daytona in February 1970. Supporting materials include copies of Le Mans papers from 1965, 1968, and 1969, paperwork from Chinetti’s ownership, 1970 purchase paperwork, service invoices, and a history report by Marcel Massini. As the sixth and most important of 32 250 LMs built, it sits in a category where there are no substitutes, only missed chances.
At this echelon, SFS financing is often part of the story in a practical, not promotional, way. When a car’s value is anchored in singular competition history and unrepeatable provenance, buyers prioritize speed and certainty. Financing secured against existing assets can allow a collector to pursue a Le Mans-winning Ferrari immediately, without forcing the sale of other long-held cars or triggering time-sensitive liquidity decisions that compromise a broader collection strategy.
This 2025 Ferrari Daytona SP3 “Tailor Made” sold for $26,000,000 in August 2025, standing apart as a modern Ferrari defined by both rarity and intent. The Daytona SP3 was limited to 599 units worldwide, with every example allocated to Ferrari’s most devoted clients before production began. This car, designated “599+1,” represents an additional chassis created beyond the sold-out run and donated for a charity auction, with proceeds benefiting The Ferrari Foundation.
What makes the offering especially compelling is that it is not simply an extra build, but a capstone specification developed through Ferrari’s Tailor Made program. The two-tone exterior combines exposed carbon fiber with Giallo Modena, and the car became the first Ferrari road car to feature the iconic Ferrari logotype as an exterior livery running the length of the body. Inside, it uses an innovative fabric derived from recycled tires, accented by carbon fiber and motorsport cues that underscore the Icona series mission of blending modern engineering with design rooted in Ferrari’s most celebrated racing cars.
Mechanically, the Daytona SP3 is a pure expression of Ferrari’s modern V-12 philosophy. Its naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 produces 829 horsepower and is paired with a quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The aerodynamic approach emphasizes efficiency through passive solutions, and the model was positioned at launch as Ferrari’s most aerodynamically efficient road car. In the context of contemporary collecting, it is both a halo object and a defining artifact of Ferrari’s current era of limited-run storytelling.
SFS financing often supports acquisitions of modern halo cars like this for a different reason than it does for historic racers. Collectors may choose financing to keep capital flexible for additional opportunities across categories, whether that is another blue-chip car, a major art purchase, or a time-sensitive real estate or business allocation. When a one-off modern Ferrari appears under unique circumstances, financing can be a tool that preserves optionality while still enabling decisive action.
This 2001 Ferrari F2001 sold for €15,980,000 in May 2025 and occupies a rare tier even among Formula 1 cars. It is the only Ferrari chassis raced by Michael Schumacher that won the Monaco Grand Prix and also clinched the Formula 1 World Championship in the same season. It also achieved pole position and won the Hungarian Grand Prix, securing Schumacher’s fourth Drivers’ crown as Ferrari claimed the Constructors’ Championship, and it enabled Ferrari to secure back-to-back title doubles for the first time in the team’s Formula 1 history.
The appeal here is not only Schumacher’s name, but the precision of the narrative. Monaco is the sport’s most prestigious venue, and championship-deciding chassis are the ones collectors build museum-level collections around. This F2001 sits at the intersection of competitive achievement, engineering era, and historical “firsts,” which is why it achieved such a headline result. Its offering directly from the TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco 2025 weekend further reinforced the connection between object and place in a way few motorsport artifacts can replicate.
In the ultra-high end of collecting, SFS financing can be particularly relevant for Formula 1 cars because liquidity planning often looks different than it does with road cars. A collector may want to secure an historically decisive chassis while keeping flexibility for a broader acquisition calendar, including other marquee sales and private opportunities. Financing can help align timing, allowing a buyer to pursue a major F1 acquisition without forcing the sale of other appreciating assets simply to meet a near-term settlement window.
This 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold for €14,067,500 in January 2026 and exemplifies why the greatest open Ferraris trade as cultural objects as much as automobiles. Produced in just 56 short-wheelbase examples, the SWB California Spider introduced meaningful performance advancements over the long-wheelbase version, including a shorter chassis, four-wheel disc brakes, and the latest evolution of Ferrari’s “short-block” V-12. Within that already rare group, this car is the third built and one of only 39 originally configured with covered headlamps, a detail that has become a major driver of desirability.
Provenance and documentation are central to its value. The car was delivered new to Paris and later offered after 30 years of single-owner care, with just four documented keepers in total. Ferrari Classiche certification, reissued in late 2025, stipulates the presence of the matching-numbers engine, rear axle, and coachwork, and it is supported by build sheet copies, expert history reports, restoration invoices, a FIVA card, and a detailed assessment report by Klaus Kukuk. It is also accompanied by an alternative purpose-built 3.8-liter engine completed by Piet Roelofs in 2019 and original Borrani wire wheels, details that matter greatly in this part of the market because they support both authenticity and long-term usability.
SFS financing often supports acquisitions of landmark open Ferraris like this because the purchase decision is frequently a portfolio decision. A collector may view a covered-headlamp SWB California Spider as a cornerstone asset and want to acquire it while maintaining liquidity for restoration, events, storage, and additional collecting opportunities. Financing can also help avoid unnecessary asset sales, especially when the buyer’s collection includes other long-held automobiles that are not intended to be liquidated simply to fund a single, time-sensitive acquisition.
The 1993 Ferrari F40 LM by Michelotto, which sold for $11,005,000 in August 2025, represents the most extreme and competition focused expression of the F40 platform. One of only nineteen examples prepared by Giuliano Michelotto’s renowned engineering firm, chassis number 95448 was built to GTC specification and developed approximately 760 horsepower, making it the most powerful iteration of the F40 ever constructed.
The Michelotto program elevated the F40 far beyond its road car origins. Enlarged intercoolers, revised camshafts, advanced fuel management, increased turbo boost, and uprated mechanical systems were paired with larger Brembo brakes, wider wheels, lowered ride height, and significant aerodynamic refinement. These enhancements transformed the F40 into a machine designed for the demands of endurance competition while retaining its unmistakable identity.
This example was the fourteenth LM prepared and was finished in Rosso Corsa with sliding Lexan side windows, later receiving Ferrari Classiche certification in 2009 confirming its matching numbers engine, transaxle, and bodywork. Its history includes event participation, specialist servicing, and a comprehensive program of mechanical preparation that culminated in a class win at the 2025 ModaMiami concours.
Cars at this level often attract collectors who recognize that competition developed Ferraris rarely reenter the market, and their value is closely tied to provenance that cannot be replicated. It is within precisely these circumstances that Replica Shoes ’s Financial Services is frequently used, as collectors seek to secure rare opportunities like the F40 LM before they disappear into long term private collections.
At the highest end of the collector car market, access to capital can be as important as access to the car itself. Sotheby's Financial Services enables collectors to leverage existing automobiles in their collections or arrange financing in advance of bidding, allowing them to pursue rare Ferraris with confidence. This approach can help avoid the need to liquidate appreciated assets at inopportune moments while preserving long-term holdings and keeping liquidity available for businesses, investments, or additional acquisitions.
SFS’s familiarity with the collector and competition car landscape is particularly relevant in the Ferrari market, where value often hinges on details such as matching-numbers status, Classiche certification, documented race history, and continuous provenance. Streamlined, collateral-based underwriting allows clients to act quickly when the right car surfaces, whether it is a Le Mans–winning prototype, a championship-deciding Formula 1 chassis, a covered-headlamp California Spider, or a rare competition variant like an F40 LM.
At this level, financing is less about necessity and more about strategy. Collectors may use it to maintain diversification, hold multiple cornerstone cars simultaneously, and align acquisition timing with broader portfolio planning. In a segment defined by rarity and timing, having financing structured in advance can make the difference between watching a landmark Ferrari change hands and securing it.
The 1964 Ferrari 250 LM achieved €34,880,000 EUR, making it the top result in this group and one of the most valuable Ferraris ever sold publicly.
Overall victories at events like Le Mans, documented period competition history, factory engineering significance, and rare surviving originality combine to create unrepeatable stories. At this level, collectors are acquiring a defining chapter of motorsport history as much as an automobile.
Yes. Limited production, a clearly defined place within Ferrari’s modern lineage, and highly curated specifications through programs like Tailor Made position cars like the Ferrari Daytona SP3 as future reference points for the era.
Because it can preserve liquidity, protect long-held assets, and allow buyers to act quickly when rare, time-sensitive opportunities arise. In a segment with few true substitutes, readiness can be as important as intent.
Whether you're a seasoned collector or new to the world of high-performance automobiles, RM Replica Shoes ’s offers a trusted, seamless way to buy and sell the world’s most desirable cars. And for collectors looking to preserve liquidity while pursuing rare opportunities, Sotheby’s Financial Services provides flexible financing solutions tailored to significant automotive acquisitions.
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