Spectacular N.A.R.T. Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione Rounds Out Unprecedented 'Pinnacle Portfolio'

July 20, 2015 by RM Sotheby's

• RM Sotheby's readies for sale of The Pinnacle Portfolio, August 13 in Monterey, California

• Magnificent 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione with incredible race record announced as latest highlight of the unprecedented private collection

• SWB comes to market following expert restoration in excess of $650,000 by Motion Products Inc.

• The Pinnacle Portfolio features remarkable series of postwar sports and super cars; complete digital catalogue now available at www.rmsothebys.com

LOS ANGELES, California (July 20, 2015) – RM Sotheby's, the world's largest collector car auction house for investment-quality automobiles, is proud to announce the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione, chassis no. 1773GT, as the latest feature highlight for its highly anticipated sale of The Pinnacle Portfolio in Monterey, California next month.

The historic SWB joins an unprecedented group of 25 vehicles to be offered as part of The Pinnacle Portfolio during an exclusive, single-vendor sale on Thursday, August 13. Arguably the most valuable private automobile collection to be offered during a single day auction, the group includes some of the most iconic and important sports and racing automobiles of the 1950s and 60s, juxtaposed against an incredible selection of cutting edge, high-performance contemporary supercars.

'When it comes to SWB Ferraris, there is a clear division between top-tier examples and the rest. The example in The Pinnacle Portfolio sits at the apex of the group. Matching-numbers, its fantastic race history coupled with its great originality and spectacular restoration make it a clear standout,' says Shelby Myers, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby's. 'Then there's the drivability. If you've never driven a vintage Ferrari, it doesn't get better than this. 1773GT is precise and exact in everything it does, which is a fantastic testament to the quality of its world-class restoration. It truly must be the finest performing and best looking SWB in the world.'

1773GT is one of approximately 45 alloy-bodied SWB Competizione versions built in 1960. Prepared as a North American Race Team (N.A.R.T.) car, just nine days after its completion in March 1960 it made its way to Florida to compete at the ninth annual 12 Hours of Sebring. Piloted by legendary racing figure George Arents, with Bill Kimberly as co-driver, 1773GT finished an impressive 7th overall and 5th in class as a N.A.R.T. entry – a performance that marked the start of an incredible period racing career, which later included 1st place finishes at Bridgehampton and Nassau.

The car on offer has passed through a well-documented chain of gentlemen owners over the years. After being acquired by The Pinnacle Portfolio, it was shipped to Wayne Obry's esteemed Motion Products Inc., for a complete restoration back to its 1960 Sebring livery. Completed in July 2015, the project amounted to over $650,000 in expenses, highlighting the near-fanatical level of detail lavished upon this important Ferrari (Estimate available upon request).

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'The owner's directive was simple: he wanted a restoration beyond reproach that could compete at the highest level of concours judging and would be capable of winning awards wherever shown,' Myers adds. 'From a collector's perspective, the appeal of 1773GT is two-fold: it enjoys a fantastic racing provenance graced with such illustrious names as Grossman and Kimberly, and when it comes to condition, it is mechanically pure and magnificently restored. This, coupled with the fact that it has not been presented publicly since restoration, almost guarantees its next owner a place in the winner's circle at the world's most prestigious events.'

The SWB joins an incredible roster of postwar sports and racing cars in The Pinnacle Portfolio, including the previously announced 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider and the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM. For those with a penchant for more modern design, the sale also includes an extraordinary line-up of contemporary supercars from some of the world's most admired marques, including:

• Sweden's performance powerhouse: a brilliantly engineered 2008 Koenigsegg CCXR, chassis no. 041; capable of producing 1,018 horsepower, this is one of only five examples in the U.S. and was featured in the fifth installment of the Fast and the Furious series (Est. $900,000 - $1,300,000);

• a U.S. street-legal 1996 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8, chassis no. 90503; the rarest and quickest naturally aspirated Porsche on the 993 platform and the last air-cooled Carrera RS (Est. $350,000 - $450,000);

• a limited production 2008 Lamborghini Reventón, chassis no. 03269; one of the rarest and most sought-after modern Lamborghinis in existence, showing less than 900 miles from new (Est. $1,400,000 - $1,800,000); and,

• The ultimate American-made supercar, a 2005 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo, chassis no. 00056; one of only two competition S7s capable of producing 1,000 horsepower, this example was featured in the films, Iron Man and Redline (Est. $350,000 - $500,000).

A complete list of the 25 vehicles on offer at RM Sotheby's sale of The Pinnacle Portfolio is available for viewing in the event's digital catalogue, now available online at: http://bit.ly/1KguSWq. A short video of the SWB in action is available here: http://bit.ly/1MDzWl1.

RM Sotheby's Monterey Sale

An institution spanning more than 25 years, RM Sotheby's flagship Monterey auction, held during the world-famous Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance week, returns to the Portola Hotel & Spa in downtown Monterey, California, August 13-15. In 2014, RM's Monterey event set a new benchmark for a collector car auction, generating a remarkable $143.4 million in sales to become the highest grossing collector car auction of all time. This year's event, headlined by The Pinnacle Portfolio, will lift the gavel on a magnificent group of approximately 150 blue-chip automobiles. For further information, visit www.rmsothebys.com or call +1 519 352 4575.

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About RM Sotheby's

RM Sotheby's (formerly RM Auctions) is the world's largest auction house for investment-quality automobiles. With 35 years' experience in the collector car industry, RM's vertically integrated range of services, from private treaty sales and auctions to estate planning, and financial services, coupled with an expert team of car specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM proudly holds four of the top ten all-time records for the most valuable motor cars sold at auction. In February 2015, RM formed a strategic partnership with Sotheby's, uniting the two companies for the full calendar of future automobile auctions. For further information, visit www.rmsothebys.com.

Photo credits:

Top / Second top images: The 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione (photo credit – Patrick Ernzen © 2015 courtesy RM Sotheby's)

Third image: Chassis 1773GT en route to a 7th overall and 5th in class finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring (photo credit - courtesy of Dave Nicholas)