Past auctions have proven that the iconic early 1960s Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the most valuable, coveted, and collectible classic cars on the market. The actual homologation process for the road version of the race car was something of a mess, with 100 cars ultimately required, but only a little more than 30 250 GTO body styles were built.
Ferrari made up the difference with the earlier 250 GT Berlinetta SWB models, but the chaos also resulted in some ultra-rare models, like this one-off 250 GTO that is the only one of its kind to leave the factory with a white paint job. It’s headed for auction, and as you might imagine, it’s expected to fetch an enormous sum.
What Is It?
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Bianco Speciale, as this white example is called, or chassis 3729GT as the factory knew it, was finished at the request of the original customer, John Coombs. It almost immediately went on to race across England, and it would go on to be owned by one of its racing drivers, Jack Sears, in the 1970s. Now, it could be yours, though the pricing today will be astronomically higher than the $18,000 price tag the car claimed back in 1962.
The Bianco Speciale’s History
The Mecum auction website suggests that someone swapped the paint color at some point, but it’s since been returned to the original Bianco finish. It also keeps some racing design elements, including the hood louvers and a cockpit air hose. According to the auction listing, this car has been “maintained, repaired, refinished, but never restored,” which could be a good or a bad thing depending on what kind of owner or collector you are.
Ferrari only made 36 250 GTOs similar to this one, and unless one of the other 35 has been painted white since it left the factory, this could be the only one of its kind in existence. Surprisingly, though English celebrity Chris Evans did have a 250 GTO in his large collection at one point, it was a different model, and he didn’t paint it white, like he did many of his other Ferraris. So nothing to worry about there.
Online records and photos show a pretty dramatic crash during a race in 1963 that smashed in the beautiful front end, but it was repaired and returned to racing the following month. It also looks like it’s gone through a series of engine swaps over the years, but records also show that an engine block from Ferrari Classiche was installed in late 2008, and the car took place in both the 50th and 55th anniversary tours for the 250 GTO. It seems to have been sitting pretty idle since, only attending a handful of concours and other static events over the years.
How Much Could It Bring At Auction?
The Bianco Speciale will first be on display for those attending the Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California from August 14 to 16 for car week, and then it will ultimately be auctioned in January 2026 at the Mecum Kissimmee 2026 auction in Florida. Back in late 2023, a red 250 GTO sold at auction in New York for $51.7 million, and it wasn’t even one of a kind. So open up your expectations – and lines of credit – and stay tuned for this car to make headlines early next year.
Sources: Mecum, Newspress, Barchetta.com
