250 GTO

The 250 GTO was born from necessity. Ferrari needed to homologate a car for the FIA's GT category, which required 100 units. Enzo Ferrari famously persuaded the FIA that the GTO was an evolution of the 250 GT, not a new model, despite sharing almost nothing with it.

Giotto Bizzarrini engineered the car before leaving Ferrari in the famous 1961 walkout. He moved the V12 engine lower and further back, fitted a dry-sump lubrication system, and developed the body shape through extensive wind tunnel testing at the University of Pisa.

Sergio Scaglietti hand-formed the aluminum bodywork in Modena. Each GTO was slightly different, shaped by eye and hammer. The Colombo V12 produced 300 hp from 3.0 liters with six Weber carburetors.

The 250 GTO dominated GT racing from 1962 to 1964, winning its class at Le Mans, Sebring, the Nurburgring, and the Tour de France. It was driven by Stirling Moss, Phil Hill, and dozens of gentleman racers who considered it the finest dual-purpose car ever built.

Only 36 were built (33 Series I and 3 Series II). A 250 GTO sold for $48.4 million at RM Sotheby's in 2018, and a private sale reportedly exceeded $70 million. It is the most valuable car in the world.