Motor Racing & Rallying

Auction catalogue, Maranello 28 June 2005, very numerous illustrations from photographs (mostly in colour, with a few period b&w photographs), extensive descriptions of the cars in parallel Italian and English text (see specimen page below), with loose addendum inserts, 255 pp, sewn paperback, bottom corner of front cover a little bent, rear cover a little dented, but otherwise in very good condition with uncreased spine, Sotheby’s (Milan, Italy) 2005

29.5 x 22 cm, 1430g, no ISBN

This auction was enthusiastically described as “an unparalleled sale of historic and modern Ferraris, Maseratis and related memorabilia”.  The 34 cars (only a few of which were actually owned by the Ferrari factory) ranged from Michael Schumacher’s 2004 F1 car (sold for €2.4m) to the yellow ex-Ecurie Francorchamps 512M and the Costin-bodied 1957 Le Mans Maserati 450S coupé.  The memorabilia included engine performance charts from 1960 and an ex-Barichello F1 crankshaft on which “a large crack is visible”!

The auction took place on a baking hot evening, and was not an enormous success.  Only a third of all the historic cars reached their reserve prices – for a full description, see http://www.ferrariownersclub.co.uk/happenings/2005/june/auction_report/report.asp.

From its slightly-used condition, this catalogue (itself priced at €50) may have been used by a potential buyer at the sale.  The book is beautifully produced, but gives no clue as to the authors of the histories of the individual cars.