Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 LM shatters auction records

In a landmark event for automotive enthusiasts and collectors, the Ferrari 250 LM that clinched victory at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans has been sold for €34 880 000 (around R667 742 022) in Paris.

This sale not only establishes it as the most expensive Le Mans-winning car ever auctioned but also as the priciest publicly sold Ferrari outside the GTO series.

This 250 LM, bearing chassis number 5893, holds a distinguished place in racing history. As the sixth of only 32 units produced between 1963 and 1965, it was delivered to Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART).

Piloted by Masten Gregory and future Formula 1 champion Jochen Rindt, this car miraculously secured an overall win at Le Mans in 1965. The victory marked Ferrari’s sixth consecutive triumph at the endurance classic and remains the company’s last overall win at Le Mans until their return in 2023. 

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Notably, this achievement was unique as it was the only time a privately entered Ferrari clinched the overall Le Mans title.

The 250 LM was initially developed as a coupé version of the 250 P and intended to replace the 250 GTO as Ferrari’s premier GT-class racer. However, the FIA refused to homologate the model for the Group 3 GT class due to insufficient production numbers, leading it to compete in the prototype category. 

Following its racing career, chassis 5893 was acquired by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1970, where it remained for over five decades. The museum maintained the car’s originality, preserving its matching-numbers engine and gearbox.

As the hammer fell in Paris, this 250 LM not only set a new auction record but also reaffirmed its status as a symbol of Ferrari’s illustrious racing heritage.

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