The Rarest Car In the World: 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder Convertible

Yes, you read that correctly. Feast your eyes on the rarest Ferrari to ever be sold – and at that, most likely the rarest car in the world. The simple fact that it’s a Ferrari 250 GT alone is well – just look at it! Stunning, aggressive, elegant, and beautiful all come to mind at the same time. But that’s not what makes this incredible car so valuable or rare…

This is the only 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Convertible (Spyder) to ever be produced.

That’s right, there’s exactly one in existence. Every other 250 GT produced between 1953 and 1956 were coupes, meaning they had roofs. In fact, the gorgeous pictures that follow are from a coupe of the same year because this vehicle is so rare I had trouble finding any images other than the one above! The acquisition of this lone convertible is quite an interesting story.

1956 Ferrari 250 GT Tour De France Pictured Here
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In 1955 Robert M. Lee of Reno, NV was travelling to Africa to go on a safari. An avid car enthusiast, he stopped in Italy along the way and had the opportunity to meet Enzo Ferrari in Modena. According to Mr. Lee’s wife Anne, Ferrari gave Lee explicit advice – patting himself on the chest he exclaimed:

If you ever buy a Ferrari, buy it from Ferrari, not from Luigi Chinetti in New York.

1956 Ferrari 250 GT Tour De France Pictured Here
Source

A year later when Lee was attending the New York auto show, he came across the custom built 250 GT convertible, immediately fell in love and asked to buy it.

Mr. Chinetti, a well know racecar driver who had led Ferrari to many of its early victories was then the company’s distributor in the United States. Chinetti told Lee that the car was not for sale – even he himself could not buy it.

Not phased by rejection and remembering his conversation with Ferrari just a year earlier, Lee sent a telegram to Modena requesting Ferrari sell him the car for $9,500.

Learning the car cost nearly $20,000 to produce, both Lee (and Chinettit) were astonished when Ferrari accepted his offer.

The car was his. Many years later Lee recalled a conversation with Ferrari addressing his conerns that a Ferrari would not hold up in “the New York City junlge.” Without batting an eye Ferrari stated, “If you buy a car from Ferrari, I guarantee it will run in New York City”.

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The air of confidence and pride that exuded from Enzo Ferrari are just two of the many characteristics that defined the automobiles he created. The 250 GT Spyder is by no means an exception. A racecar through and through, the 250 GT has an exceptional racing history bearing numerous championships and countless accolades to its name. The Spyder has a top speed of 163mph with a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds thanks to a 260bhp, 3 litre V12 engine.

It’s estimated that this car, originally bought for $9500, is now worth $20,000,000 or more.

What do you think of this stunning car? Is it everything that you ever dreamed of or do you have something else in mind? Let me know in the comments section below!