Ferrari: $1.9 million for scrap metal
CRAZY WORLD The dismal pile of junk that was once a Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider, put up for sale a few days ago by auction house RM Sotheby's, fetched an improbable $1.9 million.
Had the 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider been offered at auction in perfect condition, $1.9 million would have been considered a fitting price. After all, the car was not only a famous racing car, but also an exquisite beauty. (AutoSprintCH reported)
Especially crafty auctioneer
However, the fact that a buyer was willing to spend almost two million dollars for such a dented, bent and burnt-out wreck seems rather irritating. However, the scrap heap was made palatable to the bidders by the auction house RM Sotheby's with many arguments. This 500 Mondial Spider had been the second of only 13 examples from the Pininfarina design house and had brought in racing successes for Ferrari at the Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Imola Grand Prix in 1954 with pilot Franco Cortese.
Only modest successes in races
One could counter that Franco Cortese is not one of the best-known drivers and that his racing successes with this car were also rather modest. But arguing about the value of classic Ferrari models obviously belongs more in the realm of religions. Still, one wonders what money means to someone who spends so much of it on a vintage Ferrari.
