I know it seems like I'm overdoing it, but again, I'm all caught up with work, in bed with a fever and I actually enjoy posting these: HMN Dec. 1986: 67 Ferrari 330GTC, 35000mi., recently restored: $37,500 HMN Jan. 1976: 54 Ferrari 250 Europa (#0313EU), Partially Restored: $7,000 HMN Feb. 1976: 50 Ferrari 195 Inter Ghia (#0113S), 40000km, good orig. cond.: $10,500 HMN Oct. 1976: 57 Ferrari 500TRC, EX-NART, Concours: $28,000 HMN Jul. 1977: 59 Maserati Birdcage, show car: $28,000 (GP SSR) HMN Sep. 1974: 59 Ferrari 250GT Pininfarina Coupe (#1281), Runs Good: $2,500 HMN Dec. 1983: 71 Ferrari Daytona Spyder: $89,000 (Forristall) HMN Jul. 1972: 57 Ferrari 250GT Boano, restored, show-winner: $3,650 HMN Nov. 1979: 67 Ferrari 275GTB/2 LN Alloy, very low miles: $38,500 (Thoroughbred) HMN Nov. 1979: 67 Ferrari 275GTB/4, excellent condition: $38,500 (Thoroughbred) HMN Jul. 1979: 60 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spyder, Concours: $60,000 (Alex Dearborn) HMN Dec. 1980: 52 Ferrari 340 Mexico Coupe, Excellent Condition: $68,500 HMN Jul. 1979: 62 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta, completely restored: $49,000 (FAF) HMN Jul. 1978: 66 Ferrari 275GTB/2 SN, mint condition: $18,500 firm HMN Jul. 1978: 59 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spyder (#1215GT), Fully Restored: $24,000 (Kent Smith) HMN May 1978: 63 Ferrari 400SA Cabriolet, 100 point car: $49,500 (F. Sutherland) HMN February 1978: 63 Ferrari 250GTE 2+2 (#4201), Good Condition: $6,600 HMN June 1978: 68 Ferrari 275GTB/4 (#10973), Concours: $29,800 (FAF) HMN June 1978: 65 Ferrari 330GT 2+2 (#6161), Needs Cosmetics: $5,000 HMN June 1978: 56 Ferrari 510SA Ghia One-Off Speciale Coupe, 7600 Mi., Museum Piece: $65,000 (Wutke) HMN June 1978: 65 Ferrari 275GTB/2 SN (#6589), Concours: $19,800 (FAF) HMN June 1978: 65 Ferrari 275GTB/2 SN (#6721), Concours: $19,800 (FAF) HMN Dec. 1978: 66 Ferrari 275GTS (#7227), Excellent Original: $22,800 (FAF) HMN Feb. 1975: 56 Ferrari 250GT Boano (#0601), Restored: $5,900 HMN May 1976: 69 Ferrari Daytona Coupe, Excellent: $14,500 (GP SSR) HMN June 1977: 70 Ferrari Daytona Coupe, Low Mileage: $23,000 HMN February 1978: 71 Ferrari Daytona Coupe, Penske Blue, Immaculate: $25,900 (FAF) HMN December 1979: 73 Ferrari Daytona Spyder, Red/Tan, 26k Miles: $82,500 OBO (Larry Spatz) HMN February 1982: 55 Maserati 300S (#3056), completely original, used very little: $85,000 HMN October 1984: 57 Ferrari 250GT Pininfarina Cabrio Series I, red/biscuit, concours: $62,500 (Brian Classic) HMN June 1982: 63 Ferrari 250GT/Lusso, Black/Tan, Borranis, Excellent: $28,000 HMN June 1982: 56 Ferrari 250GT Boano (#0581), Vy Clean Orig., Gd. Cond.: $15,000 (Ed Long) HMN June 1982: 67 Ferrari 275GTB/4, Black/Black, 32000 Miles: $46,500 (Fantasy Junction) HMN June 1982: 65 Ferrari 400SA, Red/Tan, 23000 Miles, Excellent Throughout: $38,500 (Fantasy Junction) HMN February 1982: 66 Ferrari 275GTB/2 LN (#8933), Restored Show Car: $46,000 HMN February 1982: 68 Ferrari 275GTB/4 (#10925), Needs Nothing: $52,500 (Schreiber) Some Porsches/BMWs: HMN Sep. 1978: 59 BMW 507 Roadster, 23000 orig. mi., both tops, mint: $18,500 HMN Sep. 1978: 64 Porsche 904GTS Carrera, Mint Restored Condition: $27,500 OBO HMN Sep. 1978: 55 Porsche 550RS Spyder, excellent original with extras: $19,500 (Fantasy Junction) HMN Dec. 1978: 55 Porsche 550RS Spyder, Restored Show Car: $22,500 (The Stable Ltd.) HMN Dec. 1978: 56 Porsche 550RS Spyder, Complete and Original, needs full engine rebuild and interior cosmetics: $8,900 HMN Jan. 1979: 66 Porsche 906 Bergspyder, Concours: $35,000 Still more to come..... GB
Hey, you're in the same boat as everyone else who had the means to buy those cars then but didn't, which is like 99% of today's collectors. It is in no way dissimilar the universal "baseball card story" that my father and anybody who grew up in the late '50s and early '60s bring up time and time again in conversations. My father amassed an impressive collection of baseball cards from that era, including those of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, etc..... For all I know the portfolio could have potentially brought $100k today, considering he had about 2000 cards, most of which were given to him by older siblings or acquired from 5-cent chewing gum packs. Too bad my dad never picked up his room, because my frustrated grandmother trashed all of his cards (which were initially strewn around his room) in 1962, when he was 12. But again, they were mere tablets of cardboard at the time, I guarantee that nobody could have foresaw such a market. Nothing we can do now except whine and moan about another opportunity down the drain. A Few More: HMN Nov. 1971: 53 Ferrari 375MM Racing Roadster, Completely Restored: $9,000 HMN Nov. 1971: 61 Ferrari 250GT PF Cabriolet Series II, Excellent Condition: $3,950 HMN Nov. 1971: 66 Ferrari 330GT 2+2, Blaupunkt, Borranis, Mint: $5,100 OBO HMN Oct. 1970: 61 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta, Completely Restored, Very Low Mi. 1 Owner Car: $6,000 HMN Feb. 1973: 32 Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 Roadster, Excellent Original Condition: $20,000 HMN Mar. 1973: 66 AC Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster, Full Fact. Equip., The Finest Anywhere: $8,500 HMN Jan. 1973: 31 Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 GS Drophead, 18000 orig. km, very good orig. cond.: $12,500 HMN Jan. 1973: 58 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, Excellent Restored Cond.: $4,200 HMN Jan. 1973: 58 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spyder, aptly a California car, mint: $6,950 (Gephart) HMN Jul. 1972: 62 Ferrari 250GT PF Coupe, Show Car, Expensive New Silver Lacquer: $5,450 (Gephart) HMN Jun. 1973: 60 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spyder, low mileage, all original components, beautiful show condition: $6,750 (Steve West, OH) HMN Jun. 1973: 63 Ferrari 330 America, borranis, good running condition: $3,250 HMN Jun. 1973: 62 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2, 18k orig. miles, the most mint example in the US: $7,500 HMN Jun. 1973: 61 Ferrari 250GT PF Cabrio Series II, new paint, michelins, borranis: $6,900 HMN Jun. 1973: 62 Ferrari 250GT PF Coupe, Fantastic: $7,000 OBO HMN Jun. 1973: 67 Ferrari 330GTC, Silver/Black, Excellent Original Condition: $9,500 (Gephart) HMN Jun. 1973: 70 Lamborghini Miura S, Brand New, Never Titled: $18,000 or trades (Dr. Art Burrichter)
I believe I worked there at the time that SWB was there -- I was a lot boy for a brief period and remember $90,000 (or thereabouts) as 'beyond a fortune'. I recall there being two 275 GTBs for sale at around the same time for around $70k.
It was a silver gray car that had just come from the Northwest. At the time we were in the market for our first ever house which was for that same price range as the SWB. I asked the salesman (B. Lawrence) naively, what exactly does the buyer of a car like this look like. He said you'd be surprised. He said he had sold cars to folks walking in with a brown bag full of cash. I believed him. john
I think some of these figures would equate to a 308 or 328 in 'today' dollars, but the exclusivity from the limited production numbers is gone as a result of mass production - I suspect that a GTS may never have the allure of a Daytona Spider. A LOT of people pay 30k-40k for a vehicle these days, but then, as now, Ferrari is not just about the cost of acquisition, but appropriate maintenance and upkeep. More importantly, it's about the passion for fine macchina. Viva Ferrari!
Good point, Testarossas (85-91) have been stuck in the 45k-70k range for quite some time, which is perhaps reflective of its 7000 production figure. Still, the F-40 at 500k (double its 1988 Sticker, but about the same as what people were paying for them at that time) could be an exception, with its 1300 production figure. Still, none of these modern Ferraris come with one-off production bodywork for the Shah of Iran, etc........... Also, notice that as Enzo got older and older, Ferrari models were being produced at higher and higher quantities. I take it he tried to keep production numbers low?
1979 Ferrari 250MM (coupe) $79000 1984/5 GTO $500000 Both were purchases by friends. Have c/n's but don't want to post without their consent.
Yikes. Belay my last. I stand corrected. 1979 Ferrari 250 MM (coupe) $26000. purchased then restored. restoration was $59000. 1984/5 Ferrari GTO (62 body style) $500000.
Look in R&T's classifieds from around 1970; Ed Niles (God love him), Frank Gallo & Basil Shadlun (sp?) were always turning 250 SWBs in the $3500.00 to $5000.00 range. Often offered with fresh paint and/or mechanicals. THOSE are the deals I'd like to go back and scoop up (but I wouldn't sell them at today's prices, I'd continue to use them on the street ).
From R&T in October 1969. 37 years later a friend and I bought the GTE listed. It was in pieces and wrapped in newspaper from 1970! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Here are some more R&T ads, the first two are June 1975 (The month JAWS premiered in theaters!), and the following two are September 1975. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Some more, the first is Sept. '75, the 2nd and 3rd are May '64 and the final one is from June '75, showing the values of cobras at the time to compare with the Ferraris. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I looked at this car and the respray was pretty weak (silver). I passed on it and bought a 275 GTB/4 from European Auto Restoration for $60,000. I sold it a bit over a year later for $77,500 and bought a 166MM for $150,000. I sold it in '90 and bought the house I still live in. In the mid-sixties a friend bought one of the GTO's that Bev Spencer had for a little under $13k. He turned down $14.9m in '90 (I told him the market was too high, Ezo had already passed, too many speculators, and he should jump on it - as I did). He sold it a couple years later for under $4m. Around the same time ('66?) my dad looked at another GTO at Bev Spencer's, this one a '64 (probably no 5571). It was upstairs in very rough storage area and I remember when they pulled the cover off it, glistening dark red. I think the dollars were similar to the other one. Dad passed on it and bought a 330 GT 2+2 (family car). A coouple years later he bought a LWB Calif Spider for $6k, but sold it after a year or two because leaked like a siv (again $6k). I think I recall around '88 Ralph Lauren bought his GTO for $800k and thought it was a huge number, hah. Cheers, George
Horsefly is right. Some of my "bargain " purchases were market or above when I bought them. Examples 330GTS $9500, 275 GTB Long nose torque tube $13500, 1yr old Daytona $18500 (spuder for $1500 more), 330GTC $20000. I could have bought GTO prototype #2643 AND a 375 berlinetta for $80,000 but I thought it was too much and would have had to borrow the money. I think I know the guy that bought the $38000 GTO and he was being ridiculed for grossly overpayment. All of the above was a lot in the early 70s.
5909LM was bought by Bob Epstien in around 1976 or 1977 for $70,000. It had been restored by Griswold with a bill of $46,000. That set a new market top price. Bob sold it a couple of years later for about $120,000. For a period of time he had both the LM and GTO 4091. Jim Stollenwerk bought his GTO from his brother-in-law Chris Cord for about $40,000 in about 1976. That one was sold to Chris Murray for $320,000 in the early 1980s. Daytona spyders were sometimes considered less desirable than the coupes when new. There are stories of potential buyers being offered the spyder for the same price as the coupe. A friend of the family bought a 275GTS in about 1969 or 1970 from Steve Griswold. The owner had gone broke and the car had an outstanding repair bill with Steve's dealership. Art bought the car for under $4,000. Metallic gold. He later traded it straight across for a new Pantera and that overvalued the Ferrari at the time. Jeff
Thanks a million! Where did you find this info? I love reading about past transactions! Epstien bought his LM in August 1977, per the Barchetta.cc Registry
Two personal examples from the Boston area in the early/mid 70's: A guy who was a regular at the Alfa Owners Club showed up at one of our shows at the Lars Andersen museum circa 1977 with a gorgeous silver 250 GT SWB that he bought a couple of years earlier from a financially distressed seller (who needed cash yesterday) for what he had in his checking account at the time, $3,500. I still have the pictures I took, with the license plate "Va Bene", and he did! Circa 1976, a college pal of mine in Boston (with an entirely different economic status than I) wondering how he could talk his dad into buying a Lusso for him that was for sale for $8,000. In those poverty stricken college days, $2,000 for a 4 year old Triumph TR250 and then four years later $1,700 for an Alfa 1750 Berlina were all I could swing for transportation, so even those Ferrari prices were a bit on the unreal side for me then.
Great Posts, everyone! Keep 'em coming! I wish I had some stories, but I was too young to use a toilet let alone drive and/or finance a Ferrari during those times. I do, however, have some more old ads: All are From Hemmings Motor News (Began in 1954 to cater to Ford/Chevy enthusiasts, but became a very popular marketplace among Ferrari collectors by the early-mid '70s): 1.) May 1976 2.) May 1984 3.) June 1973 4.) July 1976 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login