Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sets new sale record

The car, a 1957 prototype 250 Testa Rossa, was sold through UK Dealer Tom Hartley Jnr to an undisclosed buyer. Hartley Jnr didn't reveal the sale price, but post-sale information has put the figure at a reported £28,990,000 million (AU$44.05M or £24.1M approx.).

If this price is correct, it will be a new record for a car sold publicly (but not at auction), eclipsing the £26.2M (AU$39.81M or £21.44M approx.) a Ferrari 250 GTO sold for in 2012.

The car, chassis number 0704, was the second prototype and one of only 21 250 TRs built in total (including prototypes), and served as an official Ferrari team car for two seasons.

Powered by a 3.0-litre V12, the 250 Testa Rossa was capable of six second 0-100kph sprints and a top speed of almost 170mph (270km/h).

Number 0704's racing pedigree includes victory in the Buenos Aires 1000 Kilometres and the Sebring 12 Hours of 1958, where the car was driven by the Anglo-American driver duo of Peter Collins and Phil Hill. Also entered in the 1957 Le Mans 24 Hour race, the car was running high as second, but failed to finish.

Once its life with Scuderia Ferrari came to an end, the 250 TR was acquired by an American who used it successfully in other races, before donating it in 1967 to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn near Detroit, where it stayed for more than 30 years.

Original and unrestored, the car has been described by marque historian Marcel Massini as one of the top five Ferraris on the planet.

Dutch collector, Eric Heerema, was the seller of 0704, and was also the seller of the 250 GTO mentioned earlier.

Image: Ferrari media