A vintage Ferrari has been bought for £29million – the sixth most expensive car ever sold.
The 250 LM won the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour race in 1965, piloted by racing stars Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt.
According to the auction listing, chassis 5893 was just the sixth of 32 ever built.
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It was distributed to Luigi Chinetti Motors and run by Chinetti’s North American Racing Team to earn the winning title 60 years ago.
It is the only overall Ferrari win at Le Mans achieved by a private team.
The vehicle is also the only Ferrari built during Enzo Ferrari’s reign that competed in six 24-hour races – three at Le Mans and three at Daytona.
It is the sixth most expensive car ever sold at auction and the most expensive Le Mans winner ever sold at auction.
Its last race was the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970 after which it was purchased by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum where it has been ever since.
Under the bonnet it has the same Tipo V-12 engine that powered it to victory along with the correct gearbox, as reported by Luxury Auto News.
Ahead of its sale, its isting read: “The engine still exhibits multiple scrutineering stamps as further evidence of its use in multiple editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Needless to say, this showcases an incredible degree of authenticity that is extremely rare to see on an example with such important and extensive race history.
“In short, chassis 5893 is the NART Ferrari.
“It would crown most any sporting collection, having claimed the ultimate achievement for a Ferrari, and indeed any racing sports car of its calibre – victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most important sports car race, bar none.
“Chassis 5893 is a bona fide legend, within the realms of Ferrari, Luigi Chinetti’s NART team and Le Mans.”
It was sold by RM Sotheby’s in Paris yesterday (5 Feb).
The sale price was £8million over its pre-auction estimate of £21million.
The most expensive car ever sold was a Mercedes 300 SLR for £114million two years ago.
The others in the top five are a Ferrari 250 GTO, £52million, a Mercedes W196 for £42million, and two other Ferrari 250 GTOs for £41million and £30million.
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