MonacoCarAuctions All Ferrari Sale
MonacoCarAuctions will hold a sale this weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Testarossa. Fittingly the sale will be Ferrari-only and feature models that helped build the Ferrari name as well as those that succeeded the Testarossa when it was finally retired. Since the auction is being held in Europe there are some lots that will be offered that rarely, if ever make it to the US. Also, because it’s being held in Monaco, there will some very special, quite unique Ferraris available. Let’s take a look at a few of them here:
The 1990 Ferrari 348 TB Zagato Elaborazione was a unique and extremely rare variant of the Ferrari 348 TB. It was a collaboration between Ferrari and the renowned Italian coachbuilder Zagato. Only a handful of these cars were produced, making them highly coveted by Ferrari collectors.
The key distinguishing feature of this special model was its completely redesigned aluminum bodywork penned by Zagato. This gave the car a more aggressive, wedge-shaped design compared to the standard 348 TB. The bodywork featured Zagato’s signature double bubble roof design and distinct circular rear lights, setting it apart from the regular Ferrari.
Under the hood, the 348 TB Zagato Elaborazione retained the same 3.4-liter V8 engine as the regular 348 TB, producing around 300 hp. However, the interior was retrimmed in classic Zagato style, with unique upholstery and details that added to the car’s exclusivity. Zagato also included a glass panel in the engine cover to show off the 300 horsepower V8 engine – a feature not seen again on a Ferrari until the 360 Modena Spider.
It’s estimated that just 9 examples of the 348 TB Zagato Elaborazione were produced, making it an ultra-rare and highly desirable model for Ferrari enthusiasts and collectors. The car was a celebration of Italian automotive styling and craftsmanship, combining Ferrari’s performance with Zagato’s distinctive coachbuilding artistry.
The example being offered in Monaco this weekend is the third to be built, as illustrated by the Zagato plaque on the car’s center console. The auction company’s estimate is €350,000 – €400,000 (roughly $380,000 to $435,000). That’s a major premium compared to a standard 348 TB, but it’s a significantly rarer car. It includes service records and its toolkit so, considering the heights that limited production Ferraris have been reaching it’s quite possible bidding on this Zagato Elaborazione could approach $400,000. Seeing as it shows just 17,094 km since new, the seller shouldn’t accept anything less than $365,000.
1989 saw Ferrari introduce the third and final evolution of its iconic Testarossa supercar. This updated version retained the unmistakable Testarossa styling with its striped side skirts, pop-up headlamps, and large rear double-circular light clusters. However, several key improvements were made.
Most notably, the 4.9-liter flat-12 engine received a significant boost in power. Output was increased from 390 hp in the earlier models to a robust 422 hp, thanks to higher compression ratios and updated engine management systems. This gave the 1989 Testarossa a stunning jump in straight-line performance.
The chassis and suspension were also revised to improve handling and driver feedback. Stiffer springs, re-valved shock absorbers, and updated geometry helped reduce body roll and sharpened turn-in response. The steering ratio was quickened as well.
Aesthetically, new 5-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels were introduced, lending a more modern and aggressive look. The air intakes on the rear fenders were also enlarged.
Inside, the interior saw some minor trim updates to accent pieces, but retained the flamboyant 1980s style and F1-inspired instrument binnacles that made the Testarossa’s cabin so unique.
Only around 1,100 examples of this final Testarossa iteration were produced before the model was replaced by the 512 TR in 1992. It represents the absolute peak of the ultimate Ferrari of the 1980s.
Ferrari produced 865 examples in European specifications and the one on offer by MonacoCarAuctions is unique even amongst that small number of cars. It was originally delivered to Switzerland and has been retained by the same owner since it was new. It’s equipped with the extremely rare headlight washers and includes all the manuals and records a collector could hope to find, all of which are located in the original pouch.
A major service was completed in January of this year that included the timing belt replacement so it’s essentially good to go for the next owner. The auction company’s estimate on this car is €160,000 – €210,000 (about $175,000 to $225,000). As this example shows just 8,228 km since new and has a well-documented history with just the single owner, that’s an entirely reasonable estimate for an example of the ultimate version of the Testarossa.
In 1959 Enzo Ferrari decided to do something rather out of character: he announced that Ferrari had developed a four-cylinder engine. It turned out that Enzo was toying with the idea of a smaller, less costly Ferrari for a brief moment in history.
This budget-friendly Ferrari made its official debut at the 1961 Turin Motor Show with an engine derived from the slightly smaller one announced in ’59, this time all of 1,032 cc and still just four cylinders. However, Ferrari decided to forgo the partnership that would be required to produce the little car in bulk and sold the whole concept to Autocostruzioni Societa per Azioni, or ASA.
ASA debuted their 1000 GT at the 1962 Turin Motor Show, built on a tubular frame designed by Bizzarini. The Spider followed the next year and the two models were equipped with engines that produced a whopping 90 horsepower.
Although Enzo’s vision had originally been to see production of the car on the scale of 3,000 examples each year, its cost – an MSRP around $6,000 – and the expenses incurred by ASA resulted in less than 100 examples being built, including both the coupe and Spider.
It’s believed that only 14 Spiders were produced by ASA and it’s believed that as many as half of those may not have survived to this day. The example being offered by MonacoCarAuctions this weekend is one of those survivors, equipped with its fiberglass body and original engine. It presents nicely with silver paint over a blue interior.
The auction company’s estimate on this is €140,000 – €190,000 (about $150,000 to $205,000) which is both remarkable considering the rarity and close association with Ferrari as well as in line with values we’ve seen in recent years. A nicely restored example sold in 2021 by RM Sotheby’s for $201,600 while a 1967 ASA 1000 GT Coupe was sold by Mecum at their Kissimmee 2023 auction for $74,800. As the one on offer in Monaco is a bit more original than the coupe sold by Mecum, but not at the quality of the Spider sold by RM Sotheby’s this should sell for $165,000 or thereabouts.
The Ferrari F512 M was a mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari from 1994 to 1996. It was an updated version of the Ferrari Testarossa, a refreshed and improved model to replace the aging Testarossa which had been in production since 1984. Evolving from the original Testarossa and its successor, the 512 TR, the F512 M was unveiled at the 1994 Paris Motor Show.
It retained the mid-mounted 4.9L flat-12 engine but was significantly upgraded to produce 440 horsepower and 368 ft lbs of torque. The increase in power propelled the car from 0 to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 315 km/h.
The M in its name stood for Modificata, referring to the heavily revised bodywork designed by Pininfarina. It had a somewhat more rounded, streamlined profile compared to the sharply angular Testarossa. The most notable change at the front of the car was the switch from retractable headlights to fixed lights under glass covers.
Although this was perhaps the most modified variant of the Testarossa, it was also the one in production for the least amount of time. Just 501 examples were built from 1994 through early 1996, at which point it was replaced by the 550 Maranello.
The suspension was equipped with gas-filled shock absorbers and the braking system was modified to include a Bosch ABS anti-skid system. Air conditioning was part of the standard equipment for the F512 M and carbon fiber seats were available as a weight-saving option.
The example offered by MonacoCarAuctions shows 41,047 km since new and is one of the 426 examples configured for European delivery. It features the original carbon fiber seats and includes its original toolkit, cover, and battery maintainer along with maintenance records and books in the original pouch.
The auction company estimates this will sell for €450,000 – €625,000 (about $490,000 to $680,000). Although this isn’t the lowest-mileage F512 M in the world, it’s still a well-documented example and presents nicely in Rosso Corsa over a Nero Rosso interior and color counts for a lot with the Ferrari market. It’s unlikely that this will hit the upper-end of the auction company’s estimate, but it should be able to approach $475,000 with no trouble.
Following the production of the Dino 246 series the company introduced the 308 GT4. While that model was introduced at the Paris Salon in 1973, a version with a smaller engine was produced starting in 1975.
The 208 GT4 was built specifically for the Italian market with a smaller 2.0L V8 due to an Italian tax on engines larger than 2.0L. These were equipped with four twin-choke Weber carburetors and paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The smaller engine was rated at 180 horsepower.
Visually the 208 GT4 was very similar to the 308 GT4 so the easiest way to tell them apart, aside from the badging, was the single exhaust pipe on the 208 GT4 compared with the quad exhaust on the more powerful model. Although it was equipped with “usable” back seats, they were that in name only unless the front seats were quite far forward.
The 208 GT4 featured a separate trunk to the rear of the engine that provided additional space for luggage, an improvement over the older Dino models. The GT4-series were built for homologation purposes to allow it to race against the Porsche 912.
Only 840 examples of the 208 GT4 were produced, compared with more than 2,800 examples of the more powerful 308 GT4. The example being offered by MonacoCarAuctions this weekend is one of the first 84 built for 1977 and has a well-documented ownership history, having had just three owners since it was delivered new to Rome.
It’s a matching-numbers example and comes with its spare wheel, toolkit, and maintenance books. It benefits from a major service completed in October 2023. The auction company expects this to sell for €55,000 – €75,000 (roughly $60,000 to $82,000).
A few of these have changed hands at public sales in recent years, but other than a couple outliers (actually the same car, just sold twice two years apart) prices have been at or below $60,000. Having said that, it’s possible that this could reach the low-end of the auction company’s estimate as it does appear to be in very good condition. If the seller can get something close to $60,000 then it would be quite well-sold.