1956 Ferrari 290 MM stars in auction at RM Sotheby's

A 1956 Ferrari 290 MM was the star lot of a sale of classic cars at RM Sotheby's, achieving $28m.

The lot led the hotly anticipated Driven by Disruption auction in New York on December 10.

Ferrari 290 Sothebys
The Ferrari 290 MM was designed for Juan Manuel Fangio

The car was specially designed for Juan Manuel Fangio, regarded as the world's greatest race driver, to compete in the 1956 Mille Miglia.

It's the best surviving example of the four 290 MMs ever built and has passed through several prestigious European collections.

As Peter Wallman, RM Sotheby's car specialist, explained prior to the sale: "It's hard to know where to start when describing just how important this 290 MM is.

"Driven by the greatest drivers of the 1950s and built for possibly THE greatest driver in history, this is a car with which Enzo Ferrari was personally involved and is a fundamental part of Ferrari folklore.

"Its originality, coupled with its extraordinary provenance and history, which are truly second to none, can only lead you to conclude that it is one of the most desirable and valuable cars that will ever come to the open market."

Janis Joplin's iconic psychedelic 1964 Porsche 365c 1600 cabriolet was another top seller, realising $1.7m against a $600,000 estimate - an increase of 183%.

The singer drove the distinctive car everywhere and fans would often tuck notes under the windscreen wipers.

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