PARIS.- Friday 5 February 2016, shortly after 18h50, at the Retromobile Salon, Artcurial Motorcars, the collectors’ car department at Artcurial achieved the world record for a car sold at auction, under the gavel of Maitre Hervé Poulain. The iconic 1957 Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti, from the Pierre Bardinon Collection was bought by an international bidder for 32 075 200 M€ / 24 693 782 M£ / 35 711 359 M$, including premium.

Matthieu Lamoure, Managing Director of Artcurial Motorcars declared, as the car left the stage: «This exceptional Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti #0674 has achieved the highest auction price in international history (in euros and sterling), here in France, the home of the automobile, and in Paris, the world’s capital for collectors’ cars during the winter season. My team and I are very proud to have put Artcurial Motorcars on the top step of the podium for auction houses worldwide ! Our hard work, which has been rigorous and extensive, has been rewarded at the highest level. We would like to thank sellers for their continued support. Vive Paris, vive l’Automobile, vive Artcurial Motorcars ! »

The room fell silent as the lights were dimmed and the car appeared on the stage, positioned in front of the podium. Matthieu Lamoure, Managing Director of Artcurial Motorcars, presented the car in English to the bidders in the saleroom, describing the history, design and extraordinary provenance of this 1957 Ferrari 335 S Scaglietti.

Maitre Hervé Poulain started the bidding at 20 millions euros. A minute later, several people in the room and on the telephone were involved and bids rose to 26 M€. It was a further ten minutes before an international bidder in the room triumphed over the only telephone bidder to remain in the battle. To loud applause, the hammer came down on the most valuable car in the world : a 1957 Ferrari S Scaglietti.

The car left the workshops at the start of 1957, fitted with a striking Scaglietti body, a design born of the requirements of a powerful racing car. In March of that year it was entered by Scuderia Ferrari for the Sebring 12 Hours, driven by Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant, and finished sixth. However, the Italians were really waiting for the Mille Miglia in May, when the best teams and the most experienced drivers would go head to head over 1 600 km of roads, without any break. Ferrari lined up four cars including chassis 0674 that was given to Wolfgang von Trips, who finished second behind the Piero Taruffi’s Ferrari. For the 24 Heures du Mans, the car was given to Mike Hawthorn and Luigi Musso. Hawthorn took the lead in front of the Maserati and Jaguars and set the first lap record in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours of over 200 km/h (203.015 km/h average speed) but unfortunately the car retired in the fifth hour with mechanical problems. On 24 February of that year, with Masten Gregory and Stirling Moss at the wheel, the car won the Cuba Grand Prix. During the 1958 season, it participated successfully in various American races driven by Gaston Andrey and Lance Reventlow (creator of the famous Scarab), before being sold to Robert N. Dusek in 1960, an architect living in Pennsylvania. Following this American adventure, the car was brought to France in 1970. The American architect sold it to Pierre Bardinon, the astute collector who over the years assembled some fifty factory Ferrari comprising the most successful and iconic models in the history of the marque. Based near Aubusson, his collection is considered to be one of the most important, in terms of Ferrari. Kept as part Pierre Bardinon’s private collection for over 40 years, the car has been used and maintained regularly and is presented in excellent condition.