1961 Ferrari could fetch £60,000

01 February 2012

The lucky buyer of a 1961 Ferrari that's being sold at auction will have to examine their breakdown cover to check whether it applies to their classic purchase.

The Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 'Series 1' Coupé will be auctioned at the Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia sale at Bonhams Oxford, and is expected to fetch up to £60,000.

With coachwork by Pininfarina, the brief had been to produce a 2+2 without sacrificing the 250's elegant good looks or sporting demeanour.

The Ferrari was bought new by an Italian resident who imported it from Rome.

The car was then passed to Italian film producer Agostino 'Dino' De Laurentiis, who in 1967 gave the car to one more owner.

It appears the final owner used the car for eight or nine years, and it still carries the last tax disc, which expired in 1976. His family are selling the car.

Bonhams senior specialist Rob Hubbard said: "This well-preserved 'barn find' represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire an original and untouched early Ferrari 250 GTE, ripe for sympathetic restoration by a fortunate new owner."

Copyright Press Association 2012