MARANELLO, ITALY -- The passion for vintage sports cars reached a new intensity yesterday when the 1961 black Ferrari convertible once owned by actor James Coburn sold for a record $10.8-million (U.S.).
The price, which includes a 10-per-cent buyer's commission, was a world record for a car at auction, said Terrance Lobzun, an executive of RM Auctions Inc., the Canadian company that sold the car and dozens of other Ferraris at one of the biggest sales of its kind. "We're ecstatic," he said. "This shows the market is still very strong for this kind of vehicle."
The Ferrari, a 250 GT SWB California Spyder in perfect condition, was bought by British broadcaster and media celebrity Chris Evans. He paid roughly double the estimated price.
Mr. Evans, 42, was wearing torn jeans and a black velvet jacket and was sipping beer during the auction, which was held at the Pista di Fiorano, the famous racetrack near the Ferrari factory in northern Italy where company founder Enzo Ferrari tested his sports cars and Formula One racers.
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Mr. Evans is a legendary Ferrari fan. He owns several vintage Ferraris, which he keeps at his home outside London. In 2000, he bought a Ferrari for his future wife, Billie Piper, shortly after they met, and filled the cockpit with roses. Ms. Piper was thrilled, even though she couldn't drive. The couple divorced last year and Mr. Evans has since married golfer Natasha Shishmanian, who was with her husband at yesterday's event.
Before the auction, RM founder Rob Myers, said he was "confident" the California Spyder, his favourite car at the auction, would go for a very high price. But his employees said even he was surprised by the blockbuster figure. RM made a small fortune on the sale of the car; it collects a 10-per-cent buyer's commission as well as a 10-per-cent seller's commission. Total haul for this one car alone: about $2-million.
The California Spyder was one of about 45 Ferraris (and one Maserati) sold at the event. Mr. Lobzun said the preliminary estimate for the total value of the cars sold was €30-million, the equivalent of $47-million at recent currency-exchange rates. An updated figure is to be released today.
Mr. Coburn, star of The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, bought the Ferrari second-hand in 1964. It has a V-12 engine with 280 horsepower, and black leather interior with red carpets. The California Spyder is rare and considered one of Ferrari's most elegant designs.
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