1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Bianco Speciale Disappoints With $38,500,000 Auction-Record Sale
A rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO was sold at the Mecum Auctions event in Kissimmee, Fla., event on Saturday night for $38,500,000 to set a record for the auction house, but the price paid fell far short of many expectations.
The V12-engined car is one of the just 36 250 GTOs that Ferrari built from 1962-1964 and the only one that left the factory painted white.
Known as the Bianco Speciale, it had been owned by former Microsoft CEO Jon Shirley. Shirley bought it for an undisclosed amount from race car driver Jack Sears in 1999, but another 250 GTO was sold in 2000 for $6.5 million.
Since then, the record price paid for a 250 GTO was a reported $70 million in 2018, while another was auctioned in 2023 for $51,705,000. The $70 million amount is the second-highest known price ever paid for a car and the highest not tied to a charity auction.
Given the unique nature of the Bianco Speciale, it was expected to challenge the auction record if not the all-time record, but ended up going for a $35 million bid plus 10% auction fee.
With so few 250 GTOs in existence, sales are few and far between, so there’s no telling when one will be available again.
More from the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee event:
1971 PLYMOUTH HEMI CUDA CONVERTIBLE SOLD FOR $3.3 MILLION
1966 FORD GT40 LIGHTWEIGHT SOLD FOR NEAR-RECORD $12,375,000
The Bianco Speciale’s new owner is anonymous for now, but the car has an open invitation to participate in the 2026 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic gathering of Ferraris this February, where it may make an appearance alongside some of its sister cars.
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