It’s true Ferrari has produced some of the world’s greatest gems, making a name for itself in performance, status, and top-dollar cost. Not just a brand of status, Ferrari’s vehicles have competed and conquered some of the most difficult motorsports challenges in the world.

In fact, many Ferrari racing cars have become the foundation of many of today’s racing designs. One such Ferrari is not just one of the rarest cars in the world, but one of the most expensive as well.

The rarity of the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM

True Ferrari fans can recognize the rarity of the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM right away. That is partially due to the unique “LM” in the 330 TRI name, given specifically for one particularly-difficult race, the Le Mans.

This means that this 1962 racing car was specifically designed for one race and therefore only one in existence. According to How Stuff Works, the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM isn’t just considered rare, but also “the greatest and final example of the golden age of front-engine racing.”

Not only did the 330 TRI/LM win the 1962 Le Mans race for which it was built, but it’s also “last front-engine racing car built by Ferrari as well as the last front-engine car to win at Le Mans.”

After winning the world’s oldest endurance race, it’s easy to see why it became the world’s most sought-after car. In addition to its championship title, the 330 TRI/LM is also the only 4.0-liter Testa Rossa built, as well as the last one, according to Jalopnik.

Ferrari 330 sells at auction: how much is a priceless car worth?

The car world looked on with admiration back in 1962 at the Ferrari 330 TRI/LM, but time has only added to its pricelessness. As with most rare cars, it’s more valuable today than ever before.

According to Business Insider, the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM makes the list as one of history’s most expensive cars ever sold at auction. In fact, this iconic racecar sold in Italy by Sotheby’s in 2007 for $9.2 million, breaking the record for the most expensive car sold at auction. 

A brief history of the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM: why it’s so special

It all started with the 250 Testa Rossa (TR), which “dominated sports car racing between 1958 and 1961,” according to Ultimate Car Page. When regulatory changes were made in the racing world, Ferrari developed its 3.0-liter engine into the 330 TRI/LM to fit into the 1962 Le Mans’ new experimental, 4.0-liter class. And winning the grueling, 24-hour race was an achievement Ferrari had its eyes on. The newly-developed front-engine 330 TRI featured a 4.0-liter, twelve-cylinder engine that made nearly 400 hp.

And the Ferrari 330 TRI/LM didn’t just have new, impressive capabilities. It proved to be a good gamble for Ferrari, when the 330 debuted on the second day of Le Mans test sessions. Driven by Phil Hall and Oliver Gendebien, it ran the fastest lap of the day. The duo would go on to become the first triple winner driver pairing, winning the 1962 Le Mans race with a five-lap lead.

According to Super Cars, the 1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM has seen a lot since its win at Le Mans. After the 1962 Le Mans race, it was sold to another race team, until it ended its racing future in 1963 with a bad accident. After hanging its racing hat, the 330 TRI/LM changed bodies and was sold to Hisaki Okada, who drove it as an everyday car in New York.

Next, it went to the owner of the famous Mas Du Clos collection, where it was brought back to its original 1962 configuration. It was then sold at auction in 2002 for $5.9 million to Jim Spiro until it was brought back again to the auction house in 2007.