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Jun 30, 2023

One of Ferrari’s Rarest Sports Cars of the 1960s Is Up for Grabs

As part of the 2023 Monterey Car Week, Mecum Auctions will be back at the Hyatt

As part of the 2023 Monterey Car Week, Mecum Auctions will be back at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel, on Del Monte Golf Course, from August 17 through 19. The sale features a selection of very desirable Ferraris from the 1960s, including a rare 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast Series II, the first of only 12 examples built.

If you were a really special customer of Ferrari in 1965, you may have been able to order a 500 Superfast. Those privileged few included the Aga Kahn, the Shah of Iran, and actor Peter Sellers. In total, 36 examples of the model's Series I and Series II versions were built between 1964 and 1966. Ferrari's most exclusive nameplate began in 1956 with a series of show cars, subsequently influencing the 410 and 400 Superamerica series, and finally, the 500 Superfast, which debuted at the 1964 Geneva Salon. At the time, the Superfast was as close to a coachbuilt car as a privileged Ferrari customer could get from the marque. Remarkably, it was almost twice as expensive, when new, as a Ferrari 275 GTB or Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III.

The 500 Superfast's designation refers to the 5.0-liter displacement of its Colombo-designed V-12 engine, unlike other Ferrari model numbers that refer to the swept volume of a single cylinder (for instance, the 275 GTB has a 3.3-liter V-12). The 500 engine was the largest and most powerful in the Ferrari stable to that point, a 4.9-liter, SOHC V-12 with wet-sump lubrication and fitted with either three or six Weber carburetors. It made 400 bhp and 350 ft lbs of torque at 4,750 rpm.

Early examples used a four-speed transmission from Ferrari's 330 GT 2+2, and later cars, like this one, were fitted with a five-speed unit. The 330 GT 2+2 also supplied the chassis. The steel bodies, made at Pininfarina and shipped to Ferrari, were "lightened", to an extent, with aluminum doors, hood, and trunk lid. Series I and II cars are generally distinguished by a four- or five-speed gearbox—but not always—and the number of louvers in each front fender: 11 tiny slats or three larger ones, respectively.

The Superfast was Ferrari's ultimate gran turismo car of the day, and its 26-gallon fuel tank gives it plenty of range. It's big, comfortable, and luxurious, with a spacious interior whose large rear shelf—behind the front seats—provides room for luggage, as does the commodious trunk.

With its matching-numbers engine, chassis No. 7817 is an exceptional example among the rarest Ferraris, and has been part of a private collection since 1999. Its provenance is noteworthy, having been owned new by Barbara Woolworth Hutton, the Woolworth's Five-and-Dime heiress and mother of Lance Reventlow, racer and developer of the Scarab race car. Considering their infrequent appearance at auction, both the Series I and Series II versions of the 500 Superfast are generally valued as high as $3 million.

Ready to start summer in high gear? There's still time to join Robb Report's 2023 California Coastal Rally, June 4 through 8. For more information, or to register, visit here.

Click here for more photos of this 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast Series II.