Ultra-rare 1957 Ferrari 335S auctioned for $35M

It's hard to beat a Ferrari when it comes to luxury sports cars retaining their value over the years, and the latest auction for a classic model proves it. In Paris today a 1957 Ferrari 335 Spider Scaglietti was auctioned off by Artcurial, reaching a total of $34.9 million. So, what makes the car so valuable? Well, the car was designed for the track by Enzo Ferrari himself, has been raced by two Formula 1 world champions, oh, and it's one of only four ever produced.

"It's an incredibly rare car with fantastic provenance and racing history," the auctioneer described, and it was even expected to set a new world record for the most expensive car ever auctioned. Unfortunately it fell just short of the record-holder, which stands at $38.1 million. What vehicle could have sold for that amount? Why, another Ferrari of course; the 1962 250 GTO to be specific, auctioned in 2014.

The Ferrari 335S is recognized for some incredible achievements, including setting a record lap time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as reaching an average speed of 124mph on a lap at the same race, and in 1957 it was capable of a top speed of 186mph. After being retired from the track it was owned by several big names in the Ferrari world, and then it spent the last 40 plus years in a private French collection after being acquired in 1970.

As for the new owner, they certainly won't be driving it around the neighborhood anytime soon, not only because it would be insane to put something at such value at risk, but also because the race car isn't even street legal.

VIA Business Insider