A 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Speciale has helped Gooding & Co to its most successful one-day sale.
The one-off vehicle sold for $16.6m as part of a record $67.7m auction on Saturday in Monterey.
 The great Nuccio Bertone designed and owned this Ferrari |
The head of coachmaker Carrozzeria Bertone, Nuccio Bertone, co-designed the car and was its first owner - key factors in pushing its price upwards.
Its new owner is Englishman John Collins, owner of Ferrari dealer Talacrest.
Collins told the Western Daily Press newspaper the car was "sex on wheels".
"I have been after the car for the past 25 years but the owner would never sell it to me.
"The car is gorgeous. It is unique, was owned by the same person since 1980 and underneath it is a 250 short-wheel base.
"I would have gone up to $20 million (£12.5m) for it. It is gorgeous."
There were strong performances from several Porsches across Gooding and Co's two days of sales.
A 1982 Porsche 956 made $10.1m - a record for a Porsche at auction. Its fine showing is a testament to its superb racing pedigree. The ex-works car scored victories at Le Mans, Spa and Brands Hatch to name but three.
A 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort achieved $1.7m - a record for its type.
A rare 1956 Fiat 600 Eden Roc sold for $660,000. Featuring Pinin Farina coachwork, the beach shuttle was among the more unusual lots on offer.
 The Fiat 600 Eden Roc features Pinin Farina coachwork |
The two days achieved $128m in all.
The Gooding & Co auction rounded out four days of stunning auction action in Monterey. Check out all the big sales here.
Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about classic car auctions.
