Sometimes Unrestored is Better (Coming on May 3-7) Gooding & Company

Sometimes Unrestored is Better (Coming on May 3-7) Gooding & Company

Santa Monica, Calif. (March 31, 2021) – Gooding & Company, the auction house revered for selling the world’s most desirable and prized collector cars, is pleased to announce a trio of unrestored European sports cars for the company’s next sale. From Monday, May 3 to Friday, May 7, 2021, this auction will continue the company’s successful online only Geared Online auction series. Keeping with the auction house’s world-renowned reputation of delivering the highest quality vehicles, this Geared Online sale will offer a selection of reserve and no reserve lots, providing a magnificent array of automotive history for every level of collector. An early highlight of the auction is a low-mileage, exceptionally preserved 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT.

“We are absolutely thrilled to present this particular Ferrari in our upcoming Geared Online auction,” states Gooding & Company Senior Specialist, David Brynan. “Not only is this Europa GT one of the finest surviving 1950’s Ferraris, it has been secreted away for decades in a private Southern California collection and has never before been exhibited or offered for public sale. This is a truly extraordinary Ferrari – the kind of discovery that will excite any collector with a passion for original, unrestored automobiles.”

1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT (Estimate: $2,200,000 – $2,600,000)
Traditionally regarded as the first production 250 GT model, the Europa GT was an important model in the history of the Ferrari marque. Combining elegant, understated Pinin Farina coachwork, with independent coil-spring front suspension and a three-liter Colombo-derived V-12 engine, the Europa GT established a template for all subsequent Ferrari 250 GT models, giving them a significance that outweighs a limited production run of just 43 cars.

The Europa GT presented here, chassis 0413 GT, is a unique example that possesses several distinguishing characteristics, including a special instrument arrangement and an unconventional taillight treatment. According to the research of Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, this Ferrari was completed in October 1955, finished in the gorgeous color scheme of Grigio Metallizzato over orange leather, and delivered to its first owner in Genoa, Italy. While little is known of the car’s earliest years, the Europa GT was allegedly built for one of Ferrari’s most important early patrons – Dr. Enrico Wax, the official Italian distributor for Johnnie Walker whisky and Moët & Chandon champagne.

In the late-1950s or early-1960s, 0413 GT was exported to the US and was acquired by a private collector from Southern California. Amazingly, he retired the Ferrari from road use in the mid-1960s and simply preserved it as a static display in their small private collection, which included a variety of American classics, postwar Fords, and even another early Ferrari – almost all in original, unrestored condition.

Now making its public debut after decades in hiding, 0413 GT is a perfect candidate for its new owner to enter into exclusive historic events, including the preservation class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance^®. Showing just 33,671 kilometers from new, the Ferrari has been virtually untouched since the mid-1960s, retains its California black plates, and displays a fantastic patina throughout, with captivating details from a 1959 Automobile Club d’Italia sticker to the original Pirelli hoses in the engine bay. For those who appreciate original, time-capsule cars, the appearance of 0413 GT at auction represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Litre Fixed Head Coupe (Estimate: $140,000 – $180,000)
Recently discovered in the care of its second long-term owner, this E-Type Fixed Head Coupe is a remarkable survivor from the final year of Series I production. In 1967, the original owners of this Jaguar traded in their 1958 XK150 Roadster toward the purchase of a brand-new E-Type, finished in the rare and dramatic color scheme of black over red leather. Remarkably, this car has covered approximately 27,000 miles in over five decades and has been kept in static storage for the past six years. Today, the E-Type remains in outstanding unrestored condition and retains its original finishes, matching-numbers engine, Bill of Sale, and factory-supplied Dunlop spare. A rare find in this condition, this Jaguar will give its lucky new owner the opportunity to return this iconic sports car to the road while preserving its irreplaceable patina.

1965 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider (Estimate: $70,000 – $90,000, Without Reserve)
The last of the classic twin-cam, inline six-cylinder Alfa Romeos, the 2600 was a grand touring car par excellence. The upscale Touring-bodied Spider, of which only 2,255 were produced, was a worthy competitor to other fine Italian machines like the Maserati 3500 and Lancia Flaminia. This remarkable example has had just one private-owner from new and has spent nearly all of its existence in the San Francisco Bay-area. A true “garage find”, this rare Alfa Romeo Spider still retains its original-issue California black plates, and would be an ideal candidate for a sympathetic restoration or even preservation display.

Gooding & Company will house all vehicles offered in this Geared Online Auction at the company’s Southern California facility, providing it with the unique ability to offer on-site inspections for interested bidders and for specialists to engage with the available lots on behalf of buyers and sellers. The auction house invites you to speak with a Gooding & Company staff member for more information on how to view these vehicles and consign for this and other upcoming sales.

Geared Online | May 2021
Online Catalogue Available: Monday, April 26, 2021
Auction Begins: Monday, May 3 at 9:00 AM PDT
Lots Begin Closing: Friday, May 7 at 9:00 AM PDT
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