A 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO has sold for a record-breaking €9,117,500 (R172m) for the model at Gooding Christie’s Paris auction, nearly €2m (R37.8m) more than the existing world record established earlier in January.
One of only 272 examples produced, the 288 GTO was in exceptional condition and had just over 1,500km on the odometer. It had only two owners since new and was offered for sale after more than 30 years in the same family.
The Ferrari 288 GTO is one of the most important and influential supercars built. This iconic model paid homage to Ferrari’s rich racing heritage while also heralding the brand’s modern era in high-performance road cars.
Built in the early 1980s with the aim of homologating the spectacular but short-lived Group B rallying, the 288 GTO was created to offer a road-legal car with competition-worthy performance.
Though it never competed in Group B, the GTO is one of the most coveted limited-edition Ferraris, revered for its analogue character, technical sophistication and rarity.
It is powered by a 300kW 2.8l twin-turbo V8 engine, set in a tubular steel chassis clad in a lightweight aluminium and Kevlar composite body. The 2018 Ferrari FXX K Evo, offered without reserve, also astounded the crowd with its record-setting figure of €6,980,000 (R132m).
Other highlights of the January 29 Paris auction were a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C-SS Teardrop Coupe, which sold for €6,755,000 (R127m), a Giallo Fly 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV for €3,380,000 (R63.7m) and a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante for €2,255,000 (R42m).
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