One of the most beautiful Ferraris ever made, the 250 GT Lusso, is set to star in Silverstone Auctions' inaugural sale at London's Salon Prive on September 4.
 Eric Clapton has owned a Lusso, as well as Steve McQueen, whose example sold for $2.3m at auction in 2007 |
The grand tourer is the more shapely cousin of the famous 250 GT Berlinetta, one of the most sought after of all Ferraris. More spacious than its racy counterpart, the Lusso is also more luxurious.
Yet it does not quite conjure the same impressive prices at auction as the Berlinetta, which are often boosted by a racing pedigree. This 1963 Lusso, also known as the GTL, is estimated to sell for up to £2m ($3.4m).
Its Rosso Cordoba-coloured bodywork, produced by Pininfarina for Ferrari, is considered among the most beautiful ever crafted by the Italian coachbuilder.
There were just 22 examples of the Lusso ever made, with just 17 known to exist today. The car at auction received a full restoration in 2010, before winning the Masters' Class at the NZ Classic Car Weekend Intermarque Concours d'Elegance.
Salon Prive combines the British Supercar Show and Chubb Insurance Concours d'Elegance.
 The 250 GT Pininfarina Series II Coupe is one of Ferrari's most understated cars, offering 'subtley and sophistication' according to Silverstone Auctions |
Joining the Lusso is a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series II Coupe, estimated at £375,000-425,000 ($642,289-727,927).
A predecessor to the Lusso, the 250 GT Coupe debuted in 1958, with Enzo Ferrari seeking to promote it as a grand tourer, adding luxury leather seats, sound deadening and climate control. It proved one of the fastest GT cars of the era, powered by a 240 hp Colombo V-12.
It is one of the more common Ferraris, with 353 examples built.
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