Historic Ferrari racer sells for £17.2m at auction

A 1956 Ferrari 290 MM raced by many of motor racing legends has sold for £17.2 million ($22m) at RM Sotheby’s Petersen Automotive Museum Sale in Los Angeles.

The remarkably rare Scuderia Ferrari Works racer eventually sold after an extended bidding contest between three collectors.

Campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari for the 1956 and 1957 seasons, it was piloted by an amazing roster of factory team drivers including Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Peter Collins, Wolfgang von Trips (and later, under private ownership, Stirling Moss) in some of the most prestigious events the racing world has known.

In 2011, it underwent a full, concours-quality restoration by Ferrari Classiche to its 1957 12 Hours of Sebring configuration – the final race it entered as a Scuderia Ferrari Works car.

Of the four 290 MMs built, three have survived, which made this a rare opportunity to own a two-seater sports racing barchetta from what can be considered Scuderia Ferrari’s golden era.