- A rare Ferrari owned by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum has just been sold
- The Ferrari is a 250 LM, the successor to the 250 GTO
- The car took overall victory at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans
Most classic Ferraris fetch top dollar at auctions these days, but what about an example that won overall at Le Mans? The simple answer: seriously big bucks.
Just such a car was sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction in Paris on Wednesday—a Ferrari 250 LM that won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans. The final bid was 31 million euros (approximately $32 million), and with the buyer’s premium included, the final price paid was 34.88 million euros ($36 million).
The car, which bears chassis number 5893, is currently part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s collection. The museum is parting with some of its finest pieces to raise funds for future acquisitions and to support its operations. A 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 race car, driven by legends Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss, was also sold at auction on Feb. 1, changing hands for $53 million.
While the Ferrari’s price is substantially lower than that of the Mercedes, it remains just as desirable. The 250 LM was intended to be the successor to Ferrari’s 250 GTO, and was sold primarily to privateer racers. It was derived from the successful 250 P prototype race car but built for the road to classify for GT competition, with Ferrari essentially slapping a roof on the 250 P to transform it into the 250 LM.
1964 Ferrari 250 LM bearing chassis no. 5893 – Photo via RM Sotheby’s
This particular 250 LM, a 1964 example, was fielded in the 1965 Le Mans race by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team and driven by Masten Gregory, Ed Hugus, and Jochen Rindt. Their win was the last overall for Ferrari at Le Mans, until the automaker returned to the top of the podium in 2023 with the new 499P LMH.
The 250 LM was originally fitted with a 3.0-liter V-12, but later cars received a 3.3-liter unit. The change meant those later 250 LMs, including this one, had to compete in the prototype class at Le Mans. After its win, it would compete again at two more rounds of Le Mans, as well as four rounds of the 24 Hours of Daytona. It would also make an appearance at the 1966 New York auto show.
1964 Ferrari 250 LM bearing chassis no. 5893 – Photo via RM Sotheby’s
The car was acquired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1972 from collector Kirk F. White.
Other rare cars the museum is departing with over include a 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II, a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette SS Project XP64, a 1928 Bugatti Type 35B, and a 1991 Benneton B191 Formula 1 car raced by Michael Schumacher.
