BLENHEIM, ONTARIO.- RM Auctions, the world’s largest collector car auction house for investment-quality automobiles, is delighted to announce the consignment of the stunning and exceptionally rare 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France,’ chassis 0585 GT, to its highly anticipated Monterey sale, August 17–18 in California.

Specially handpicked by RM specialists for the August sale, the magnificent TdF joins an outstanding roster of more than a dozen milestone Ferraris poised for RM’s 2012 Monterey podium. The remarkable offering, which also includes the previously announced, multi-million-dollar Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta, further consolidates RM’s reputation as the global leader in the presentation of important and historic Ferraris at auction.

“Following the enormously successful sale of the Ferrari 625 TRC for its West Coast owner at our Monaco auction last month, we are delighted to have been entrusted with another wonderful, California-based Ferrari for our Monterey sale—this time a coveted 250 GT Tour de France,” says Shelby Myers, Managing Director, RM California. “The Tour de France is one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. The car on offer—a 14-louvre example—is particularly exciting, as it is among the rarest and most sought after of TdF’s and comes fresh to the market, offered for the first time in 14 years.”

Resplendent in its red with blue and white stripe exterior with stunning Scaglietti coachwork, the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’, chassis 0585 GT, was the very first 14-louver Tour de France built of a total of nine units, making it one of the rarest of its kind. Elevating its importance in the collector world, 0585 GT has an exceptional provenance both on and off the track, having competed in some of the world’s most prestigious events, as well as enjoying a memorable Hollywood turn in the 1960s. Originally purchased new in 1956 by the Italian national and southern California building construction magnate, Tony Parravano, 0585 GT was immediately shipped to California, where it has spent the majority of its life. Following Parravano’s ownership, it eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios, who used the car in a co-starring role in the 1966 Disney classic The Love Bug. The recipient of a comprehensive restoration by marque specialists in the late-1990s, in recent years, 0585 GT has been actively campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Mille Miglia and the Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge, as well as numerous entries in the Tour Auto. More recently, it was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motoring, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, as well as the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California where it won “The Great Ferraris” class honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars. (Estimate available upon request.)

Myers adds, “I recently had the privilege of driving 0585 GT at length and can say, without exaggeration, it performed flawlessly. It was a true pleasure to drive, especially in the higher revs when the exhaust note resonates with the sound that every Ferrari collector craves. Magnificently maintained by its current gentleman owner and exhibiting a very high-quality restoration, it certainly ticks all the boxes when it comes to collectability—–incredible rarity, elegant yet aggressive looks, Ferrari Classiche certification and an exceptional provenance, including a Hollywood role. What’s more, it is eligible for the world’s finest automotive events. I feel that Ferrari Tour de Frances, as a group, are undervalued in the current market. This being the ultimate example, is deserving of close inspection, and I expect it will comfortably rank among the top sales on the Monterey Peninsula this August.”

In addition to the handsome TdF and the exceptional 1955 Ferrari 410 S Berlinetta, chassis 0594 CM, other notable examples from the Modenese Prancing Horse on offer at this year’s RM Monterey sale include:

· a highly desirable 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, chassis 9523 (Est. $1,200,000–$1,600,000);
· a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 “Speciale”, chassis 09813, previously owned by celebrated television producer and Ferrari connoisseur, Greg Garrison (Est. $1,100,000–$1,600,000);
· a Ferrari Classiche certified 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, chassis 06681 (Est. $950,000–$1,150,000);
· an iconic 1990 Ferrari F40 supercar, chassis ZFFMN34A2M0089441 (Est. $650,000–$725,000);
· a low-mileage 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet, chassis 1805 GT (Est. $600,000–$700,000);
· a perfectly restored 1974 Ferrari 246 Dino GTS “Chairs and Flares”, chassis 07908 (Est. $250,000–$325,000); and,
· a pair of 365 GTB/4 Daytonas from the 1972 and 1973 model years.

A tradition spanning over 25 years, RM’s highly anticipated Monterey, California sale, held during the same weekend as the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, returns to the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center, August 17–18. In 2011, RM once again achieved the highest results of the Monterey week, generating more than $80 million in sales, the highest auction tally ever achieved on the Monterey Peninsula. The upcoming 2012 sale is set to continue the momentum, lifting the gavel on an exceptional roster of 120 blue-chip automobiles.