Placing sixth may not be cause for celebration but in the case of this 1964 Ferrari 250 LM that just generated a ton of funds for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s restoration efforts, it’s more than anyone expected. Initial estimates for the sale of this historic Le Mans winner pegged its sale price over $25 million, where bidding is said to have stayed right until the last few minutes of auction.
With a final sale price of $36.3 million excluding taxes, this Ferrari 250 LM becomes the sixth most expensive car ever sold in auction. It’s also the most expensive Ferrari ever sold in auction that’s not a GTO, a car which can command up to double the value.
Chassis number 5983 is the sixth Ferrari 250 LM, out of 32 built, with three Le Mans and three Daytona outings. This very car won Le Mans outright in 1965, fielded by Ferrari’s US importer Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T).
The win was the sixth straight for Ferrari at Le Mans, making it the longest winning streak for any manufacturer in endurance racing. Unfortunately, it also turned out to be Ferrari’s last win at Le Mans for over five decades, until its win at the 2023 Le Mans. This makes chassis 5983 very desirable, even before factoring in that it’s a numbers-matching car with its original engine and gearbox, with a single owner the last 54 years.
It’s just a month into the new year and 2025 is already shaping up to be record-setting. A 1915 Cyclone V-Twin which sold for $1.35 million just became the world’s most expensive motorcycle. On the other hand, a Mercedes-Benz racecar sold for $54 million, making it the world’s most expensive Grand Prix car to be sold at auction. With company like this, this Le Mans Ferrari is firmly in the history books.
