Snarly, isn’t it? You can hear it from here. This one-of-a-kind Ferrari is a hybrid derived from Ferrari’s 375 Plus race cars, which in turn evolved from the 375MM. The new race car would maintain Ferrari’s position at the top of the World Championship series. A new Tipo 505 chassis underpinned the Pinin Farina bodywork; in the engine bay sat a Lampredi-engineered 4954 cc V12 engine. Only six were made, but an additional two cars were built on Ferrari’s older Tipo 102 chassis – one was a cabriolet and the other was this spyder. But the idiosyncrasies didn’t stop with the chassis: after an accident early in its racing career, this car was rebodied by Jack Sutton, a British aviation-specialist-turned-coachbuilder then living near Hollywood, California. The car subsequently developed an illustrious competition resume: piloted by the likes of Ken Miles, Dan Gurney, and Carroll Shelby, it posted numerous podium finishes. Now offered for sale through RM Sotheby’s at its Monterey auction scheduled for August 16, this car represents the pinnacle of collectability in the Ferrari world, reflected in its estimated sales price of $5.5 to $7.5 million. As always, grateful to Araknid78 for the tip!

This 375 Plus is accompanied by period photographs and articles, a Marcel Massini report, copies of factory build sheets, and impeccable ownership provenance from new – including 25 years in Harrah’s collection on display and another thirty years in a “curated collection” with the consignor. While the listing notes a matching-numbers engine and other original components, the Massini report indicates the engine was restamped, and the data tag on the firewall is clearly a reproduction. The four-speed gearbox is from a 375MM. The listing specifies that this historically important Ferrari is a “candidate for a full restoration”, which means we don’t know definitively if it runs! Once the Lampredi Tipo 113 V12 wakes up, it will be good for somewhere between 330 and 370 hp, depending on tuning talent and final equipment specs.

The interior is nothing more than a workspace, maybe like your office cubicle, albeit a bit more dynamic. But who’s quibbling: surely the well-heeled buyer will put up with the spartan quarters in return for a chance to turn heads at the next California Mille. Nicks and scrapes in the paint, worn belts and upholstery, an auxiliary gauge – all speak to the opinion that this car requires a restoration. But if it dropped into my driveway via some unfathomable stroke of luck, I wouldn’t do a thing to it other than perfect the mechanical condition.

Let’s set aside the desirability of a one-off, period racer driven by famous people, wearing a badge that says “Ferrari”, and powerful as stink. What do we have here? While it is certainly rare, it is not of the same caliber as its stablemates – the “real” 375 Plus cars on the 505 chassis. While it was driven by famous people, that’s true of most rare ’50s Ferrari race cars. It no longer carries its original Pinin Farina/Scaglietti body, and questions about its components will fester. Auction results for the most esoteric of Ferrari racers easily double the low end of this estimate. This 375 Plus sold for over £10 million ten years ago. This 375MM changed hands for over $9 million earlier this year – no, it’s not a 375 but it is saturated with authenticity, unlike our subject car. Someone will collect this car, but I predict a struggle to reach the low estimate.