Oldest Ferrari car in existence built in the 1940s with open top sells at auction for record price of £6.3million

The Sun

31-05-2025

THE oldest Ferrari car in existence has sold at auction for a record price of £6.3 million.
The 1948 Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa was Enzo Ferrari's first car, designed to compete in circuit racing and drive on the road.
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Only nine of the motors were ever made making them some of the rarest Ferraris in existence.
This one was bought by the Besana brothers, the Italian car company's first ever customers, who would have had the car built to order.
The 166 Spyder Corsa competed in numerous races between 1949 and 1957 before being purchased by American collector Henry Austin Clark in 1965.
The red car was bought for around £3,000 with an additional £400 for the official mantra of " World's Oldest Ferrari."
The seats, paintwork and wire wheels were painstakingly restored, with Enzo Ferrari reportedly taking a personal interest in the car.
Clark reportedly received an offer of around £20,000 for it in 1971, but his family ended up holding onto it until 2015, when they sold it to a renowned Ferrari collector.
The 77 year old car still has its original chassis, body, V12 engine and gearbox making it the most original of the 166 Spyder Corsas.
It was even sold with its original certification proving its authenticity as one of the earliest Ferraris ever sold.
Boasting a top speed of 125mph the vintage motor does 0-60mph in around six seconds.
It was sold to an anonymous phone bidder by Broad Arrow Auctions at an auction near Lake Como, Italy.
It sold for a hammer price of £5.3 million, the total came to around £6.3 million after auction fees.
The motor set the record for the most expensive 1948 Ferrari 166 Spyder ever sold.
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Barney Ruprecht, vice president of Broad Arrow Auctions, said: "It is an absolutely fabulous sale for an amazing early sports car.
"The 166 Spyder Corsa is quite literally the earliest and most important Ferrari in existence today.
"It has significant period racing history at some of the most renowned events in Italy and throughout Europe, so it feels only natural to sell the car at the most prestigious concours event on the continent.
"It is an immediate world-class acquisition to own the first Ferrari.
"Any enthusiast of the Ferrari brand, including both older, established collectors and the rising generation now in the market, will feel drawn to the DNA of such a legendary marque.
"Nothing else on the market today, at any price, offers the cache of this car."
The Ferrari is one of two models purchased by the Besana brothers, Ferrari's earliest customers.
The Spyder Corsa boasts chassis number 004 C, finished sixth overall at the 1948 Targa Florio, raced at the 1948 and 1949 Mille Miglia and also has period Formula Two competition and hill climbs added to its race tally.