1963 Ferrari 250 GTO fetches a record price, propelling autos into fine art's league

[Zorro]

A 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO recently sold in a private auction for a reported $70 million, auto publications have announced throughout the week, likely making it the most-expensive car in the world.

The private nature of the transaction leaves some details unknown, though auto publications are widely reporting that the Ferrari has left the garage of its former German owner and is now in the possession of David MacNeil, founder of the Illinois-based WeatherTech custom floor mat maker.

Already counted among a very desirable Ferrari crop, this 4153GT chassis specimen has racing provenance. It was first overall at the 1964 Tour de France. Only 36 versions of the series were ever made, making the vehicle extremely rare.

Previously the highest price for a car was $52 million, paid for another 1963 Ferrari GTO in 2013.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/1963-ferrari-250-gto-fetches-a-record-price-propelling-autos-into-fine-arts-league-2018-06-07

The floor mat business must be pretty good.

[longship]

1. And the one to the left in the pic is a beautiful Berlinetta Lusso!!!

BTW, no self-respecting Ferrari was any other color but red.

Berlinetta GT Lusso was jaw-dropping gorgeous:
(properly red!)

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. I beg to differ

BTW, no self-respecting Ferrari was any other color but red.

This has PLENTY of self respect!

[sdfernando]

2. What are his premiums?

probably can't get traditional insurance anyway.

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. Sure you can

https://www.google.com/search?q=classic+car+insurance&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

[Kotya]

3. "custom floor mat maker"

I picked the wrong major in college.

[jberryhill]

6. They are pretty hi tech mats

They do a 3D laser scan of each model’s interior and mold the mats to a precise fit.

They are really, really superior mats. If you live in a place with winter weather and you have any inkling that you’d like to keep the carpet in decent shape for resale value later, they are the mats you want.

[Major Nikon]

11. I have some of them

The fit isn’t as good as advertised and neither is the quality. IMO they are overpriced and I won’t buy any more of them. There’s better options.

[Lars39]

4. Yeah, wonder what his employees make.

[MineralMan]

5. Timeless design, actually.

It never ages.

[EndGOPPropaganda]

7. Are we sure the price isn't partially driven by money laundering?

https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/10/30/247178/what-is-money-laundering-and-why-does-it-matter-to-robert-mueller/

Cassara says luxury items, property or stock investments are all options for a criminal to park the rewards of the ill-gotten gains.

For example, there are whole sections of the richest sections of London owned by wealthy foreigners that mostly sit empty, leading locals to wonder whether they’re at the end of a pipeline of illicit money. Real estate in hot markets such as London or New York is a good investment for anyone because it seldom loses value and can often be quickly resold in legitimate transactions, freeing up cash. In the U.K., people call this phenomenon “Lights Out London.”

[mn9driver]

8. I love classic cars as much as the next person, but

that kind of money for any automobile is nuts.

Just another symptom of the massive piles of money that are accumulating at the top.