Cars in Movies
Except otherwise stated, all results below include the premium.
See also : Cars 1960-61 Cars 1966-67 Cars 1968-79 California Spider Ford and Shelby Porsche < 917 Aston Martin
See also : Cars 1960-61 Cars 1966-67 Cars 1968-79 California Spider Ford and Shelby Porsche < 917 Aston Martin
1955-(1966) Batmobile by George Barris
2013 SOLD for $ 4.6M by Barrett-Jackson
We all wish to predict the future. The evolution of the car captures our imagination. For this reason, do not look on the roads for the most fabulous cars.
In 1955 at the Chicago Auto Show, Ford unveils the Lincoln Futura. This is a single specimen bodied by Ghia, low and wide with very long wings. It is designed for two seaters, protected as in a spacesuit by a double bubble-shaped windshield. It is white.
Painted in red, the Futura plays in a movie in 1959. In 1965, George Barris saves it from oblivion and from the risk of destruction by buying it to Ford for one symbolic dollar. Barris has an unprecedented job for which he created the wording 'Kustomizer': he is adapting cars to make the most extraordinary custom vehicles of television and film.
A few months later, there is an extreme urgency at the 20th Century Fox! Batman has an immediate need for a car worthy of his extravagance for the television series in preparation. The Futura is painted in black with horizontal psychedelic lines that symbolize audacity and speed. Thus was born the Batmobile.
This first Batmobile was retained by Barris. It was sold for $ 4.6M at Barrett-Jackson on January 19, 2013.
The word 'iconic' has rarely been used as well than for describing this television vehicle. A website (1966batmobile.com) and a Wikipedia page (Lincoln Futura) are devoted to it.
The image of the car in its 1966 configuration is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : By Photo by Jennifer Graylock/Ford Motor Companyhttps://www.flickr.com/people/13524418@N07 Ford Motor Company from USA [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
In 1955 at the Chicago Auto Show, Ford unveils the Lincoln Futura. This is a single specimen bodied by Ghia, low and wide with very long wings. It is designed for two seaters, protected as in a spacesuit by a double bubble-shaped windshield. It is white.
Painted in red, the Futura plays in a movie in 1959. In 1965, George Barris saves it from oblivion and from the risk of destruction by buying it to Ford for one symbolic dollar. Barris has an unprecedented job for which he created the wording 'Kustomizer': he is adapting cars to make the most extraordinary custom vehicles of television and film.
A few months later, there is an extreme urgency at the 20th Century Fox! Batman has an immediate need for a car worthy of his extravagance for the television series in preparation. The Futura is painted in black with horizontal psychedelic lines that symbolize audacity and speed. Thus was born the Batmobile.
This first Batmobile was retained by Barris. It was sold for $ 4.6M at Barrett-Jackson on January 19, 2013.
The word 'iconic' has rarely been used as well than for describing this television vehicle. A website (1966batmobile.com) and a Wikipedia page (Lincoln Futura) are devoted to it.
The image of the car in its 1966 configuration is shared by Wikimedia with attribution : By Photo by Jennifer Graylock/Ford Motor Companyhttps://www.flickr.com/people/13524418@N07 Ford Motor Company from USA [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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Ferrari Berlinetta in The Love Bug
1
1956-(1968)
2012 SOLD for $ 6.7M by RM Auctions
In 1966 Walt Disney Productions prepared The Love Bug, their last film prepared in Disney's lifetime. Released in 1968, it was one of the most successful films of that time.
The film displays the living car Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind, able to drive itself and to participate to racing.
Herbie was confronted with 15 other cars from various brands. Its main co-star was a Ferrari 250 GT LWB TdF acquired by Walt Disney Studios for that purpose.
This berlinetta had been in 1956 the very first in the second series characterized by the 14 louvers in parallel slits that decorate the side panels. Totally restored in 1996, it was sold for $ 6.7M by RM Auctions on August 18, 2012, lot 231. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The film displays the living car Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind, able to drive itself and to participate to racing.
Herbie was confronted with 15 other cars from various brands. Its main co-star was a Ferrari 250 GT LWB TdF acquired by Walt Disney Studios for that purpose.
This berlinetta had been in 1956 the very first in the second series characterized by the 14 louvers in parallel slits that decorate the side panels. Totally restored in 1996, it was sold for $ 6.7M by RM Auctions on August 18, 2012, lot 231. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
2
1961-(1968)
2023 SOLD for € 6.6M by RM Sotheby's
The casting of 15 cars beside Herbie the Volkswagen in The Love Bug included one other Ferrari berlinetta. This 250 GT SWB assembled in 1961 was sold for € 6.6M by RM Sotheby's on May 20, 2023, lot 153. This car retains its original chassis and its matching numbers engine was reinstalled in the 1990s.
1959-(1967) Ferrari LWB Spider in Le Dolci Signore
2024 SOLD for $ 5.6M by RM Sotheby's
Very well conceived in 1957 by Scaglietti for Ferrari on request from Von Neumann and Chinetti, the California Spider is the glamorous symbol of its time.
Anyone can play, a typical titillating film directed by Zampa, stars no less than two Bond girls, Ursula Andress and Claudine Auger. The other language titles are indeed evocative : Le Dolci Signore, Pas Folles les Mignonnes. It was released in 1967 in Italy.
Built in 1959, the 19th 250 GT California Spider, housed in the late 1960s in the garage of the prodigy racing driver Jo Siffert, is driven in that film by Auger.
It was sold for $ 5.6M by RM Sotheby's on August 17, 2024, lot 354. It retains its matching number engine and is presented in its original color combination Nero aver Rosso.
Anyone can play, a typical titillating film directed by Zampa, stars no less than two Bond girls, Ursula Andress and Claudine Auger. The other language titles are indeed evocative : Le Dolci Signore, Pas Folles les Mignonnes. It was released in 1967 in Italy.
Built in 1959, the 19th 250 GT California Spider, housed in the late 1960s in the garage of the prodigy racing driver Jo Siffert, is driven in that film by Auger.
It was sold for $ 5.6M by RM Sotheby's on August 17, 2024, lot 354. It retains its matching number engine and is presented in its original color combination Nero aver Rosso.
1961-(1963) Ferrari SWB Spider in Les Félins
2015 SOLD for € 16.3M by Artcurial
I once believed that the top prices rewarded the cars in perfect condition. The ex Delon-Baillon California Spider cancels such a view. Hidden in a barn since 1975 after the bankruptcy of its owner, it had been retrieved under stacks of magazines. Ferraris are vehicles of an exceptional robustness : it had valiantly withstood four decades of neglect in the wet French countryside.
More important for its position on the market : it has never been disassembled. Despite its pitiful look, it has everything to become through a careful restoration the best car in its glorious class. Its short belonging in 1963 to a movie star, widely reported by the media before and after the sale, probably had no impact on its price.
Here is its story :
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spider with chassis 2935GT was released from factory in 1961 and exhibited at the October 1961 Paris Motor Show. It was very elegant with the new short wheel base SWB chassis, now systematic for this model, and the rare option of covered headlights. The actor Gérard Blain bought it one week after the Salon closed.
Its second owner is Alain Delon, who uses it in Monaco and Los Angeles and is pictured with it with lovely passengers : Jane Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, his wife Nathalie. Delon sold it in 1965 with 37,000 km from new.
After several intermediaries, the car is acquired in 1971 by Roger Baillon and his son Jacques, contractors in truck bodywork and transport. In 1950, more than ten years before the Schlumpf brothers, Roger had started to recover and restore automotive masterpieces, with a view to create a museum.
Baillon puts the Ferrari in the barn. He probably does not use it, although he paid for its tax disc until 1975. The Baillon collection is secret, in large part because of the bankruptcy of the company. Some elements of the collection were seized and sold at auction near Niort in 1979 and 1985. The others remained hidden.
Jacques Baillon died in 2013. The heirs opened the hangar for an expertise by Artcurial on September 30, 2014, thus creating the most sensational "barn find" of modern times.
The storage had not been homogeneous. Two cars had been preserved from mist during these four decades, the Ferrari and a Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport berlinetta. Under its layer of dust, the Ferrari is in matching numbers, with intact bodywork except for the hood distorted under the magazines, and with its original upholstery and documentation.
Artcurial managed the auction in Paris on February 6, 2015, making a hype with the former belonging of the Ferrari to Delon. Connoisseurs are not mistaken : this car is an extremely rare untouched California Spider. Estimated at a daring € 9.5M, it was sold for € 16.3M, lot 59. The Maserati fetched € 1.96M. In a near collapse condition, an exceptional Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport by Saoutchik was sold for € 1.7M.
More important for its position on the market : it has never been disassembled. Despite its pitiful look, it has everything to become through a careful restoration the best car in its glorious class. Its short belonging in 1963 to a movie star, widely reported by the media before and after the sale, probably had no impact on its price.
Here is its story :
The Ferrari 250 GT California Spider with chassis 2935GT was released from factory in 1961 and exhibited at the October 1961 Paris Motor Show. It was very elegant with the new short wheel base SWB chassis, now systematic for this model, and the rare option of covered headlights. The actor Gérard Blain bought it one week after the Salon closed.
Its second owner is Alain Delon, who uses it in Monaco and Los Angeles and is pictured with it with lovely passengers : Jane Fonda, Shirley MacLaine, his wife Nathalie. Delon sold it in 1965 with 37,000 km from new.
After several intermediaries, the car is acquired in 1971 by Roger Baillon and his son Jacques, contractors in truck bodywork and transport. In 1950, more than ten years before the Schlumpf brothers, Roger had started to recover and restore automotive masterpieces, with a view to create a museum.
Baillon puts the Ferrari in the barn. He probably does not use it, although he paid for its tax disc until 1975. The Baillon collection is secret, in large part because of the bankruptcy of the company. Some elements of the collection were seized and sold at auction near Niort in 1979 and 1985. The others remained hidden.
Jacques Baillon died in 2013. The heirs opened the hangar for an expertise by Artcurial on September 30, 2014, thus creating the most sensational "barn find" of modern times.
The storage had not been homogeneous. Two cars had been preserved from mist during these four decades, the Ferrari and a Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport berlinetta. Under its layer of dust, the Ferrari is in matching numbers, with intact bodywork except for the hood distorted under the magazines, and with its original upholstery and documentation.
Artcurial managed the auction in Paris on February 6, 2015, making a hype with the former belonging of the Ferrari to Delon. Connoisseurs are not mistaken : this car is an extremely rare untouched California Spider. Estimated at a daring € 9.5M, it was sold for € 16.3M, lot 59. The Maserati fetched € 1.96M. In a near collapse condition, an exceptional Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport by Saoutchik was sold for € 1.7M.
Overview of the Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (Chassis 2935GT)
The car in question is a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheelbase (SWB) California Spider, chassis number 2935GT. This model is widely regarded as one of the most elegant and desirable open-top Ferraris ever produced, combining road-going luxury with racing pedigree. It features a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine producing approximately 280 horsepower, a four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension, live rear axle, and disc brakes. The body was designed by Pinin Farina and built by Scaglietti, with a steel construction (unlike some aluminum competition variants). This specific example is one of only 37 SWB California Spiders equipped with covered headlights, which enhance its aesthetic appeal and rarity. It retains its original matching-numbers components: engine 2935, internal number 610 E, gearbox 8.61, and rear axle 383F. The exterior was finished in dark blue (now appearing black due to patina), with a black imitation leather interior and a matching hardtop.
The Ferrari 250 series, introduced in the late 1950s, marked a pivotal era for the marque, evolving from artisanal production to industrial scale while maintaining a focus on the versatile 3-liter V12 engine. The California Spider was conceived as a bridge between track and road, sharing its 2.4-meter wheelbase (later shortened to 2.6 meters for the SWB) with models like the 250 GT Berlinetta "Tour de France." It was particularly popular in the U.S. market, thanks to importer Luigi Chinetti, with early examples achieving racing success, such as a class win at the 1959 Sebring 12 Hours and a fifth-place finish at Le Mans. Production of the SWB California Spider ran from 1960 to 1963, with a total of 55 units built (including prototypes and variants), making it one of Ferrari's rarest road cars.
Full Ownership and Event History
The history of chassis 2935GT is well-documented through original registration papers, insurance documents, and period references, compiled by experts like Marc Bouvot, Jess Pourret, and Marc Rabineau. Below is a chronological timeline of its ownership, usage, and key events:
September 27, 1961, Completion at Ferrari FactoryBuilt as a left-hand-drive example with covered headlights and steel body. Internal number 610 E.
October 5–15, 1961, Paris Motor Show DisplayExhibited on the Franco-Britannic Autos stand (Ferrari's French importer) during the second week of the show, replacing a sold Berlinetta. This provenance as a Salon de Paris car adds significant historical value.
October 21, 1961, Gérard Blain (First Owner), Purchased by French actor and comedian Gérard Blain. Registered as 88 LR 75 in Paris (address: 9 rue de Siam, Paris XVIe). Blain, known for films like Le Beau Serge, owned it briefly.
May 23, 1963, Alain Delon (Second Owner), Acquired by iconic French actor Alain Delon. Registered as 4452 MC in Monaco. Delon used it extensively, including on the French Côte d'Azur for filming Les Félins (1963) with Jane Fonda. It also appeared in La Rolls Royce Jaune (1964) with Shirley MacLaine. In 1964, Delon shipped it to California for personal use, where it was photographed in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills with him and Nathalie Delon. Front indicator lights were modified to U.S. specifications during this time. Original Monaco plates were later rediscovered. Odometer at sale: ~37,000 km.
July 1965 – August 2, 1965, Sale to Paul Bouvot, Sold via Michel Maria Urman Automobiles for 30,000 francs. Bought by Paul Bouvot, registered as 6101 RU 75 on August 18, 1965. Bouvot added ~25,000 km, including trips to the Peugeot Style Centre.
May 1966, Robert Cooper, Sold to Canadian Robert Cooper, residing in Paris. Brief ownership.
Late 1966 – October 1967, Unnamed Parisian Enthusiast, Passed to a sports car aficionado in Paris.
October 1967 – November 1971, Unnamed Paris Doctor, Owned by a doctor in Paris; limited use.
November 1971 – 2015, Jacques Baillon (Baillon Collection), Acquired by Jacques Baillon and integrated into his father's renowned collection of 1950s classics in western France. Rarely driven (odometer ~62,000 km), it was stored in a garage under protective cover, accumulating dust, magazines, and papers. For decades, it was mistakenly believed to be a standard steel-bodied 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, adding to its "lost" status. Items found inside included original tan leather gloves, 1971–1975 tax discs, owner's manual, fuel receipts, spare keys, a children's toy train set (a forgotten Christmas gift), a pharmacy kit, and Paul Frère's book La Conduite en Compétition. The glovebox required its original key to open.
September 30, 2014, Discovery in Baillon Barn Find, Rediscovered by Artcurial experts Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff amid the Baillon collection—a hoard of ~60 neglected classics amassed by entrepreneur Roger Baillon in the 1950s–1970s. This 2935GT was the star piece, found in remarkably preserved condition despite the barn setting: body and chassis sound, doors/bonnet/boot aligning properly, original engine bay intact (including rare coils), and interior untouched. A dent in the boot from stacked papers was left unrestored for authenticity.
February 6, 2015, Auction at Artcurial Retromobile, Sold as Lot 59 in barn-find condition for €16,288,000 (including buyer's premium), exceeding the pre-sale estimate of €9,500,000–€12,000,000. The buyer was anonymous, and the car entered a private collection.
Post-2015, Private Ownership, No public sales, restorations, or appearances are documented after the 2015 auction. It remains off the market, likely preserved in its original state or sympathetically restored privately. No concours showings or resales have been reported as of 2026.
The car's history is supported by original documents, including Monaco registration plates, Delon's insurance papers, a registration copy, and a leather folder. Period references include Dominique Pascal's book Les Ferrari au Salon de Paris-1948/1988.
Explanation of the High Estimate and Sale Price
The pre-sale estimate of €9.5 million (lower bound) to €12 million reflected the car's inherent rarity and pedigree, but the final hammer price of €16.3 million (precisely €16,288,000 including premium) shattered expectations due to a combination of factors that ignited intense bidder interest. This represented a 71% premium over the low estimate and set a world record for a barn-find Ferrari at the time.
Key reasons for the elevated value:
The car in question is a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheelbase (SWB) California Spider, chassis number 2935GT. This model is widely regarded as one of the most elegant and desirable open-top Ferraris ever produced, combining road-going luxury with racing pedigree. It features a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine producing approximately 280 horsepower, a four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension, live rear axle, and disc brakes. The body was designed by Pinin Farina and built by Scaglietti, with a steel construction (unlike some aluminum competition variants). This specific example is one of only 37 SWB California Spiders equipped with covered headlights, which enhance its aesthetic appeal and rarity. It retains its original matching-numbers components: engine 2935, internal number 610 E, gearbox 8.61, and rear axle 383F. The exterior was finished in dark blue (now appearing black due to patina), with a black imitation leather interior and a matching hardtop.
The Ferrari 250 series, introduced in the late 1950s, marked a pivotal era for the marque, evolving from artisanal production to industrial scale while maintaining a focus on the versatile 3-liter V12 engine. The California Spider was conceived as a bridge between track and road, sharing its 2.4-meter wheelbase (later shortened to 2.6 meters for the SWB) with models like the 250 GT Berlinetta "Tour de France." It was particularly popular in the U.S. market, thanks to importer Luigi Chinetti, with early examples achieving racing success, such as a class win at the 1959 Sebring 12 Hours and a fifth-place finish at Le Mans. Production of the SWB California Spider ran from 1960 to 1963, with a total of 55 units built (including prototypes and variants), making it one of Ferrari's rarest road cars.
Full Ownership and Event History
The history of chassis 2935GT is well-documented through original registration papers, insurance documents, and period references, compiled by experts like Marc Bouvot, Jess Pourret, and Marc Rabineau. Below is a chronological timeline of its ownership, usage, and key events:
September 27, 1961, Completion at Ferrari FactoryBuilt as a left-hand-drive example with covered headlights and steel body. Internal number 610 E.
October 5–15, 1961, Paris Motor Show DisplayExhibited on the Franco-Britannic Autos stand (Ferrari's French importer) during the second week of the show, replacing a sold Berlinetta. This provenance as a Salon de Paris car adds significant historical value.
October 21, 1961, Gérard Blain (First Owner), Purchased by French actor and comedian Gérard Blain. Registered as 88 LR 75 in Paris (address: 9 rue de Siam, Paris XVIe). Blain, known for films like Le Beau Serge, owned it briefly.
May 23, 1963, Alain Delon (Second Owner), Acquired by iconic French actor Alain Delon. Registered as 4452 MC in Monaco. Delon used it extensively, including on the French Côte d'Azur for filming Les Félins (1963) with Jane Fonda. It also appeared in La Rolls Royce Jaune (1964) with Shirley MacLaine. In 1964, Delon shipped it to California for personal use, where it was photographed in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills with him and Nathalie Delon. Front indicator lights were modified to U.S. specifications during this time. Original Monaco plates were later rediscovered. Odometer at sale: ~37,000 km.
July 1965 – August 2, 1965, Sale to Paul Bouvot, Sold via Michel Maria Urman Automobiles for 30,000 francs. Bought by Paul Bouvot, registered as 6101 RU 75 on August 18, 1965. Bouvot added ~25,000 km, including trips to the Peugeot Style Centre.
May 1966, Robert Cooper, Sold to Canadian Robert Cooper, residing in Paris. Brief ownership.
Late 1966 – October 1967, Unnamed Parisian Enthusiast, Passed to a sports car aficionado in Paris.
October 1967 – November 1971, Unnamed Paris Doctor, Owned by a doctor in Paris; limited use.
November 1971 – 2015, Jacques Baillon (Baillon Collection), Acquired by Jacques Baillon and integrated into his father's renowned collection of 1950s classics in western France. Rarely driven (odometer ~62,000 km), it was stored in a garage under protective cover, accumulating dust, magazines, and papers. For decades, it was mistakenly believed to be a standard steel-bodied 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, adding to its "lost" status. Items found inside included original tan leather gloves, 1971–1975 tax discs, owner's manual, fuel receipts, spare keys, a children's toy train set (a forgotten Christmas gift), a pharmacy kit, and Paul Frère's book La Conduite en Compétition. The glovebox required its original key to open.
September 30, 2014, Discovery in Baillon Barn Find, Rediscovered by Artcurial experts Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff amid the Baillon collection—a hoard of ~60 neglected classics amassed by entrepreneur Roger Baillon in the 1950s–1970s. This 2935GT was the star piece, found in remarkably preserved condition despite the barn setting: body and chassis sound, doors/bonnet/boot aligning properly, original engine bay intact (including rare coils), and interior untouched. A dent in the boot from stacked papers was left unrestored for authenticity.
February 6, 2015, Auction at Artcurial Retromobile, Sold as Lot 59 in barn-find condition for €16,288,000 (including buyer's premium), exceeding the pre-sale estimate of €9,500,000–€12,000,000. The buyer was anonymous, and the car entered a private collection.
Post-2015, Private Ownership, No public sales, restorations, or appearances are documented after the 2015 auction. It remains off the market, likely preserved in its original state or sympathetically restored privately. No concours showings or resales have been reported as of 2026.
The car's history is supported by original documents, including Monaco registration plates, Delon's insurance papers, a registration copy, and a leather folder. Period references include Dominique Pascal's book Les Ferrari au Salon de Paris-1948/1988.
Explanation of the High Estimate and Sale Price
The pre-sale estimate of €9.5 million (lower bound) to €12 million reflected the car's inherent rarity and pedigree, but the final hammer price of €16.3 million (precisely €16,288,000 including premium) shattered expectations due to a combination of factors that ignited intense bidder interest. This represented a 71% premium over the low estimate and set a world record for a barn-find Ferrari at the time.
Key reasons for the elevated value:
- Rarity and Desirability: As one of just 37 SWB California Spiders with covered headlights (out of 55 total SWB examples), it represents the pinnacle of Ferrari's open GT cars. The covered-headlight design is considered the most elegant, commanding a premium over open-headlight variants. Ferrari cabriolets from this era are scarce, as the marque prioritized closed coupes; the California Spider is often hailed as "the most beautiful cabriolet of the second half of the 20th century." Comparable unrestored examples rarely surface, and matching-numbers originality further elevates it.
- Celebrity Provenance and Cultural Icon Status: Ownership by Alain Delon, one of France's most famous actors, added immense star power. Delon's glamorous lifestyle—driving the car with Jane Fonda and Shirley MacLaine, featuring it in films, and touring California—created a romantic narrative. Photos of Delon behind the wheel with these Hollywood icons became legendary, blending automotive history with cinema. This provenance can inflate values by 20–50% for similar classics, as collectors prize "story" alongside mechanics.
- Barn-Find Allure and Originality: Discovered after 43 years in the Baillon collection—a sensational "treasure trove" of 60 cars hyped as one of the greatest barn finds ever—the car carried an aura of mystery and adventure. It was "lost" for decades, misidentified as a Berlinetta, which amplified the surprise upon rediscovery. Its unrestored condition, with authentic patina (dust, dents, and time-capsule items inside), appealed to purists who value untouched history over polished restorations. Barn finds often fetch premiums due to their narrative appeal, as seen in the overall Baillon sale totaling €25.15 million.
1961-(1963) Ferrari SWB Spider in Ieri Oggi Domani
2016 SOLD for $ 17.2M by Gooding
On March 11, 2016, Gooding sold for $ 17.2M a California Spider, lot 069. This specific example has many qualities that make it one of the most desirable Ferrari cars.
This car built in 1961 has the two outstanding aesthetic achievements by Scaglietti : the bodywork on the shorter frame and the covered headlights. Its color is the best symbol of the brand: it is painted in red and the leathers are black.
It had only three owners from new who carefully maintained and serviced it without modification and it so remains one of the most original from that model. It had probably never left Italy.
This California Spider is the dream car in the film Ieri, Oggi, Domani released in 1963. The movie is composed of three episodes of the Italian life unconnected in location or time, whose only common point is the leading couple, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
The central story, Oggi, was inspired from a short novel by Moravia whose title Troppo Ricca demonstrates the intention of social criticism. The woman drives with her lover the Rolls-Rolls of her husband and suddenly considers that she must make a choice between man and car. Relationships become nervous and Sophia crashes the Rolls.
The woman leaves on the road both car and lover and makes hitchhiking. They are near to Milan and the car that boards Sophia is our Ferrari, lent by its owner of that time to the film producer. Italy did not need to rely on concept cars to show on screen the ideal car : they had the 250 GT SWB California Spider.
This car built in 1961 has the two outstanding aesthetic achievements by Scaglietti : the bodywork on the shorter frame and the covered headlights. Its color is the best symbol of the brand: it is painted in red and the leathers are black.
It had only three owners from new who carefully maintained and serviced it without modification and it so remains one of the most original from that model. It had probably never left Italy.
This California Spider is the dream car in the film Ieri, Oggi, Domani released in 1963. The movie is composed of three episodes of the Italian life unconnected in location or time, whose only common point is the leading couple, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
The central story, Oggi, was inspired from a short novel by Moravia whose title Troppo Ricca demonstrates the intention of social criticism. The woman drives with her lover the Rolls-Rolls of her husband and suddenly considers that she must make a choice between man and car. Relationships become nervous and Sophia crashes the Rolls.
The woman leaves on the road both car and lover and makes hitchhiking. They are near to Milan and the car that boards Sophia is our Ferrari, lent by its owner of that time to the film producer. Italy did not need to rely on concept cars to show on screen the ideal car : they had the 250 GT SWB California Spider.
1961-(1968) Ferrari SWB Spider in Sissignore
2025 SOLD for $ 7.6M by Gooding Christie's
The second owner of a 1961 California Spider 250 GT SWB was an Italian rock and roll star who refinished it in light metallic blue-green with off-white upholstery and entered it in a film in 1967.
A change of owner did not terminate the cinematographic career of the car, featured in 1968 in two further Italian comedies, at that time red painted with black upholstery. In Sissignore, English title Dismissed in his Wedding Night, it has a dangerous high speed duel through public roads with a Lamborghini Miura P400.
Now refinished in its original Nocciola over light Tobacco leather, the Spider was sold for $ 7.6M by Gooding Christie's on August 15, 2025, lot 49. It is illustrated in first position in the pre sale release shared by the auction house, and in the video. It has been Ferrari Classiche certified in 2020. It is titled 1960.
A change of owner did not terminate the cinematographic career of the car, featured in 1968 in two further Italian comedies, at that time red painted with black upholstery. In Sissignore, English title Dismissed in his Wedding Night, it has a dangerous high speed duel through public roads with a Lamborghini Miura P400.
Now refinished in its original Nocciola over light Tobacco leather, the Spider was sold for $ 7.6M by Gooding Christie's on August 15, 2025, lot 49. It is illustrated in first position in the pre sale release shared by the auction house, and in the video. It has been Ferrari Classiche certified in 2020. It is titled 1960.
1965 Aston Martin DB5 for James Bond
2019 SOLD for $ 6.4M by RM Sotheby's
The third James Bond film was based on Goldfinger, a novel published by Ian Fleming in 1959. In the book, 007 was driving an Aston Martin DB3. A delegation from the production team decides that the most recent model, the DB5 coupe, will suit the new movie. With its bodywork designed by Touring, this English car has an Italian elegance.
In the previous film, From Russia with Love, the special effects were concentrated in a faked briefcase. The Goldfinger DB5 will accommodate the gadgets for the perfect spy, for example the emission of a smoke screen, the ejector seat, the retractable roof. Everyone added his idea. The rotating license plate operated from the dashboard comes from a participant's dream of leaving a parking lot without paying.
The team in charge of the scenario retains thirteen gadgets powered by a board located in the armrest. The nail ejector is abandoned to avoid giving bad ideas to car users. Two DB5 are purchased. One of them incorporates all the gadgets. The other, intended for scenes of fast driving, will be equipped later.
Released in 1964, Goldfinger is an immediate success. Both cars are collectively referred to as The Most Famous Car in the World. The sales of the DB5 exceed all expectations and its model by Corgi Toys is a huge success.
Thunderball, released in 1965, is using the same cars. The first Bond car mysteriously disappeared in 1997. The other, preserved by a collector in its original condition, was sold for £ 2.9M by RM Auctions on October 27, 2010.
To promote Thunderball by touring the United States, the production team buys two additional cars. This time the gadgets are built by Aston Martin, the repetition of the demonstrations requiring a robustness that was not necessary for the shooting. They are identified as DB5 James Bond Works Replica in the Aston Martin archives.
One of them is in a Dutch museum. The other was sold for $ 2.1M by RM on January 20, 2006. After a meticulous restoration including the full operation of the thirteen gadgets, it was sold for $ 6.4M by RM Sotheby's on August 15, 2019, lot 111. Please watch the video shared by the auction house, with a journalist named Florence in the role of 007.
In the previous film, From Russia with Love, the special effects were concentrated in a faked briefcase. The Goldfinger DB5 will accommodate the gadgets for the perfect spy, for example the emission of a smoke screen, the ejector seat, the retractable roof. Everyone added his idea. The rotating license plate operated from the dashboard comes from a participant's dream of leaving a parking lot without paying.
The team in charge of the scenario retains thirteen gadgets powered by a board located in the armrest. The nail ejector is abandoned to avoid giving bad ideas to car users. Two DB5 are purchased. One of them incorporates all the gadgets. The other, intended for scenes of fast driving, will be equipped later.
Released in 1964, Goldfinger is an immediate success. Both cars are collectively referred to as The Most Famous Car in the World. The sales of the DB5 exceed all expectations and its model by Corgi Toys is a huge success.
Thunderball, released in 1965, is using the same cars. The first Bond car mysteriously disappeared in 1997. The other, preserved by a collector in its original condition, was sold for £ 2.9M by RM Auctions on October 27, 2010.
To promote Thunderball by touring the United States, the production team buys two additional cars. This time the gadgets are built by Aston Martin, the repetition of the demonstrations requiring a robustness that was not necessary for the shooting. They are identified as DB5 James Bond Works Replica in the Aston Martin archives.
One of them is in a Dutch museum. The other was sold for $ 2.1M by RM on January 20, 2006. After a meticulous restoration including the full operation of the thirteen gadgets, it was sold for $ 6.4M by RM Sotheby's on August 15, 2019, lot 111. Please watch the video shared by the auction house, with a journalist named Florence in the role of 007.
1970 Porsche 917K in Le Mans
2017 SOLD for $ 14M by Gooding
Winning at Le Mans was for many years the ultimate dream for Porsche. A change in regulations announced after the 1968 season by the ACO for the two classes 3 liters and 5 liters is seized as an opportunity. Porsche creates in parallel the models 908 and 917.
The rule for the 5 liter homologation requires that the model is produced in 25 identical units. Porsche's motivation is so intense that they line up their twenty-five 917 in the yard of the factory as early as April 1969. Success is still questionable because the 917 is very difficult to drive. None of them finished the 24 hours of Le Mans 1969 and a driver died during that race.
In the same race a 908 was not powerful enough to overcome in thee last lap a veteran Ford GT40 Mk I in the last lap. The Ford was operated by John Wyer Automotive.
Porsche immediately conceived the necessary improvements, resulting in two variants of the chassis for each of the two models : K for Kurz Heck and LH for Lang Heck. The short variant is faster in top speed but less stable. Many drivers will prefer the LH.
The Le Mans movie was produced by Steve McQueen's company Solar Productions. It is the most authentic depictions of motorsport ever captured. Another involved production company had prevented the actor to participate to the actual event in June 1970, due to the risk of a severe accident.
The plot places his character, driver Michael Delaney, behind the wheel of multiple Porsches over the course of the simulated race. The film was released in 1971.
The rule for the 5 liter homologation requires that the model is produced in 25 identical units. Porsche's motivation is so intense that they line up their twenty-five 917 in the yard of the factory as early as April 1969. Success is still questionable because the 917 is very difficult to drive. None of them finished the 24 hours of Le Mans 1969 and a driver died during that race.
In the same race a 908 was not powerful enough to overcome in thee last lap a veteran Ford GT40 Mk I in the last lap. The Ford was operated by John Wyer Automotive.
Porsche immediately conceived the necessary improvements, resulting in two variants of the chassis for each of the two models : K for Kurz Heck and LH for Lang Heck. The short variant is faster in top speed but less stable. Many drivers will prefer the LH.
The Le Mans movie was produced by Steve McQueen's company Solar Productions. It is the most authentic depictions of motorsport ever captured. Another involved production company had prevented the actor to participate to the actual event in June 1970, due to the risk of a severe accident.
The plot places his character, driver Michael Delaney, behind the wheel of multiple Porsches over the course of the simulated race. The film was released in 1971.
On August 18, 2017, Gooding sold for $ 14M a historically important 917K, lot 44. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
This car assembled in 1970 was immediately entered in the training and test sessions at Le Mans, Nürburgring and Ehra-Lessien in April and May, demonstrating the exceptional speed achieved by the 917K model.
It is purchased in June 1970 by Jo Siffert who does not use it in competition but leases it for the preparation of the film Le Mans. It is one of three 917K starring in this movie for which they also served as camera cars for shooting at full speed. This 917K was Siffert's favorite car and led his funeral procession in October 1971.
The car was found 30 years later in a Parisian suburb, covered with dust but untouched except for the absence of the engine. The next owner bought an original engine from the same series. The complete restoration was supervised by a former Porsche engineer who still had access to the factory archives of the 917 program.
This car assembled in 1970 was immediately entered in the training and test sessions at Le Mans, Nürburgring and Ehra-Lessien in April and May, demonstrating the exceptional speed achieved by the 917K model.
It is purchased in June 1970 by Jo Siffert who does not use it in competition but leases it for the preparation of the film Le Mans. It is one of three 917K starring in this movie for which they also served as camera cars for shooting at full speed. This 917K was Siffert's favorite car and led his funeral procession in October 1971.
The car was found 30 years later in a Parisian suburb, covered with dust but untouched except for the absence of the engine. The next owner bought an original engine from the same series. The complete restoration was supervised by a former Porsche engineer who still had access to the factory archives of the 917 program.
The Le Mans movie was produced by Steve McQueen's company Solar Productions. It is the most authentic depictions of motorsport ever captured. Another involved production company had prevented the actor to participate to the actual event in June 1970, due to the risk of a severe accident.
The plot places his character, driver Michael Delaney, behind the wheel of multiple Porsches over the course of the simulated race. The film was released in 1971.
One of these cars had been built by Porsche in 1969 for the FIA homologation of the 917 and converted to short tail specification 917K by the factory in April 1970.
That example was purchased new by McQueen and Solar and extensively used in the race sequences. Camera mounts and brackets were added. He departed from it after the movie. Afterward the 917K competed in and won off-screen races.
Reestablished in its blue and orange Gulf Oil livery of the movie and submitted in 2024 to a rebuild of its mechanical components and frame, it passed at Mecum on January 18, 2025, lot S237, from the collection of the Porsche-loving comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The V-12 engine is still in matching numbers. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Robb Report reported that Mr Seinfeld sold privately the Porsche after the Mecum auction for a price in the region of $ 25M.
The plot places his character, driver Michael Delaney, behind the wheel of multiple Porsches over the course of the simulated race. The film was released in 1971.
One of these cars had been built by Porsche in 1969 for the FIA homologation of the 917 and converted to short tail specification 917K by the factory in April 1970.
That example was purchased new by McQueen and Solar and extensively used in the race sequences. Camera mounts and brackets were added. He departed from it after the movie. Afterward the 917K competed in and won off-screen races.
Reestablished in its blue and orange Gulf Oil livery of the movie and submitted in 2024 to a rebuild of its mechanical components and frame, it passed at Mecum on January 18, 2025, lot S237, from the collection of the Porsche-loving comedian Jerry Seinfeld. The V-12 engine is still in matching numbers. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Robb Report reported that Mr Seinfeld sold privately the Porsche after the Mecum auction for a price in the region of $ 25M.
(1967-1968)-1970 Ford used for Le Mans
2012 SOLD for $ 11M by RM Auctions
Ford's sporting goal is achieved with the full podium at Le Mans in 1966. FAV is dissolved and the Slough factory is sold to John Wyer, the former head of FAV as a subcontractor for Ford's commercial production with the company name John Wyer Automotive (JWA).
There were only 133 GT40 overall, cumulating all variants. One of these GT40, sold for $ 11M by RM Auctions on August 17, 2012, is related to the JWA phase of the model. Please watch the video shared by RM Auctions .
It successfully started its career by winning at Spa in May 1967 in a Mirage M configuration. Due to one of these changes in race regulations which we so often discuss in this group, it was rebuilt in the following year by Wyer under a configuration identified as 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf / Mirage Lightweight Racing Car.
It is one of two survivors from three lightweight GT40 by Wyer, and one of the earliest racing cars to use carbon fiber.
It then went to the movies industry, but not in the star role which its supreme elegance would have earned. In 1970, its roof was cut to allow the use of a 35mm camera by an operator on the passenger seat, and it was launched in the pursuit of the Porsche 917 of Steve McQueen as a camera car for the preparation of the film Le Mans.
The Ford GT40 in question is chassis P/1074 (also originally Mirage M.10003), a Gulf/Mirage lightweight racing car. It was constructed in 1967 as a Mirage prototype but converted and titled/registered as a 1968 Ford GT40 Group 4 spec car (completed February 23, 1968). This is the one sold by RM Auctions (now RM Sotheby's) for $11,000,000 (including buyer's premium; $10 million hammer price) on August 17, 2012, at their Monterey sale during Monterey Car Week/Pebble Beach weekend. It set a world record at the time for the highest price paid for an American car at auction.
Here is the full known historical timeline of this car (P/1074), based on its documented racing, ownership, and appearance history:
This timeline draws from RM Sotheby's original auction catalog description, period reports, and GT40 historical records. The car's story blends motorsport achievement with Hollywood cinema.
There were only 133 GT40 overall, cumulating all variants. One of these GT40, sold for $ 11M by RM Auctions on August 17, 2012, is related to the JWA phase of the model. Please watch the video shared by RM Auctions .
It successfully started its career by winning at Spa in May 1967 in a Mirage M configuration. Due to one of these changes in race regulations which we so often discuss in this group, it was rebuilt in the following year by Wyer under a configuration identified as 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf / Mirage Lightweight Racing Car.
It is one of two survivors from three lightweight GT40 by Wyer, and one of the earliest racing cars to use carbon fiber.
It then went to the movies industry, but not in the star role which its supreme elegance would have earned. In 1970, its roof was cut to allow the use of a 35mm camera by an operator on the passenger seat, and it was launched in the pursuit of the Porsche 917 of Steve McQueen as a camera car for the preparation of the film Le Mans.
The Ford GT40 in question is chassis P/1074 (also originally Mirage M.10003), a Gulf/Mirage lightweight racing car. It was constructed in 1967 as a Mirage prototype but converted and titled/registered as a 1968 Ford GT40 Group 4 spec car (completed February 23, 1968). This is the one sold by RM Auctions (now RM Sotheby's) for $11,000,000 (including buyer's premium; $10 million hammer price) on August 17, 2012, at their Monterey sale during Monterey Car Week/Pebble Beach weekend. It set a world record at the time for the highest price paid for an American car at auction.
Here is the full known historical timeline of this car (P/1074), based on its documented racing, ownership, and appearance history:
- 1967 (built as Mirage M.10003): Constructed as a Mirage prototype racer by John Wyer Automotive (J.W.A.) in the UK. Debuted in Gulf's iconic powder blue and marigold livery.
- May 1967: First race at Spa-Francorchamps (1000 km). Driven by Jacky Ickx and Dick Thompson to 1st overall—marking the first win in Gulf colors for any car.
- 1967–early 1968: Raced in other events as Mirage M.10003.
- 1968 (converted to GT40 P/1074): Following FIA regulation changes (limiting prototypes to 3.0L engines), converted to Group 4 GT40 spec at J.W.A. Retained original Mirage lightweight bodywork (easily reversible). Chassis number became P/1074.
- 1968 racing season: Competed extensively for the J.W.A./Gulf team in powder blue/marigold livery. Key events included Daytona, Le Mans trials, Le Mans 24 Hours, and other rounds—often driven by Jacky Ickx (among others).
- Post-1968: Retired from active factory racing after the season.
- 1970: Sold to Solar Productions (Steve McQueen's company). Modified (body cut down for camera mounts) and used extensively as a high-speed camera car during filming of the 1971 movie Le Mans (starring McQueen). It captured much of the on-track footage.
- 1971–1980s: Post-film ownership transitioned through private collectors. Maintained as a historically significant piece tied to both Gulf racing and the McQueen film.
- September 1989: Appeared at the GT40 25th Anniversary Reunion at Watkins Glen.
- July 1994: Appeared at the GT40 30th Anniversary Reunion.
- 1990s–2012: Remained in private collections, preserved with its racing and film history intact. Well-documented in GT40 registries and literature.
- August 17, 2012: Sold by RM Auctions at Monterey, California, for $11,000,000. This was lot 139 in the sale, a highlight of the event. The buyer was not publicly named at the time, but it achieved a standing ovation and set the American car auction record (surpassed in later years by other sales).
This timeline draws from RM Sotheby's original auction catalog description, period reports, and GT40 historical records. The car's story blends motorsport achievement with Hollywood cinema.
