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Seeing Red: Seven Stunning Ferraris from the Ming Collection

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RM Sotheby’s is proud to offer seven Ferrari performance and supercar models from the Ming Collection, all of which come with incredibly low mileage and have been fastidiously serviced on a time-based schedule. All seven are finished in traditional Rosso Corsa, which translates to racing red. Enzo Ferrari had each of the race cars in Scuderia Ferrari finished in the trademark hue, one which would grow to be extremely popular on the marque’s road cars, as well. Click ahead to explore the details of the Ming Collection Ferrari models offered by RM Sotheby’s during the Monterey collector car auction. –Andrew Miterko

Past Auction
RM Sotheby's: Monterey
15–17 August 2019 | Monterey

Seeing Red: Seven Stunning Ferraris from the Ming Collection

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    1984 Ferrari 512 Bbi. Estimate $350,000–425,000. Offered without reserve.
    From the pen of Pininfarina’s Leonardo Fioravanti came the angular, wedge-shaped design of the Berlinetta Boxer—the sleek mid-engined sports car and progenitor of the Testarossa. It was the shape that would define some of the most notable Ferraris of the era.
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    1984 Ferrari 512 Bbi. Estimate $350,000–425,000. Offered without reserve.
    Unlike the 365 GTB/4 which it was intended to replace, the 512 BBi featured a longitudinally mounted flat 12-cylinder engine that incorporated Bosch K-jetronic CIS fuel injection for improved drivability and emissions while delivering a stout 335 horsepower.

    This 512 is finished in distinctive Rosso Corsa over tan leather upholstery covering nearly every panel in the interior, including the dash, which further separates this particular example. The odometer shows a mere 2,501 miles, and the Maranello factory–installed plastic film protection covering the doorsills is still intact.
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    1985 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole. Estimate $100,000–150,000. Offered without reserve.
    Leonardo Fioravanti again penned the dramatic design for Ferrari, this time for the successor to the transverse mid-engined Dino. Fioravanti’s design for the 308 features a nearly uninterrupted shoulder line from its angular nose to the slight integrated spoiler at the rear. The heavily raked windshield follows the same angle of the nose across the removable black vinyl roof section and plunges back down across the hatch, which houses the engine compartment.

    As the name implies, the 308 GTS received four valves per cylinder to increase power to 240 horsepower to balance that which was lost in the switch from carburetion to the Bosch mechanical fuel injection, but with the advantage of additional fuel economy and reliability.
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    1985 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole. Estimate $100,000–150,000. Offered without reserve.
    With only 3,959 original miles, this example presents as new, having benefitted from a recent age-related service upon being acquired by the Ming Collection. The supple tan leather upholstery shows no wear or age despite being almost 35 years old, as does the deep black leather covering the dashboard. The car still wears its original Goodyear NCT VR50 tires and 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. This final-year production model was ordered and sold new through Hollywood Sports Cars in Hollywood, California, and has been amazingly well cared-for since new.
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    1991 Ferrari F40. Estimate $1,500,000–1,800,000.
    The F40 was the last road car to be overseen by Enzo Ferrari himself. Knowing his time of being directly involved with the development of the vehicles that bore his name was coming to an end, his last project needed to be something special. The F40 drew directly upon Scuderia Ferrari–proven race technology, shaped by Pininfarina to be something of which no other Ferrari of the time would resemble. The result was a ground-hugging wedge-shaped design with a massive integrated rear spoiler and multiple air intakes integrated into a carbon, Kevlar and aluminum body. At 2,400 lbs, the completed F40 was incredibly light, exactly as Enzo had desired.
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    1991 Ferrari F40. Estimate $1,500,000–1,800,000.
    This Cavallino Classic Platinum award–winning U.S.-spec example is finished in Rosso Corsa, with red cloth seats highlighting the spartan black interior. In 2004 an extremely rare factory-offered, European market–specific variable-height suspension system was retrofitted to this chassis by a factory-trained marque specialist. Behind the center lock 17-inch Speedline split wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tires, a massive Brembo brake system brings the mighty F40 to a halt. This example has been maintained on a time-based schedule and reads an impressively restrained 1,705 miles on the odometer. Included with the car are its original owner’s manuals in a leather folio, matching Schedoni luggage, its Ferrari Classiche certification, and the unused factory car cover still in its packaging.
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    1997 Ferrari F355 Spider. Estimate $125,000–150,000. Offered without reserve.
    The F355 was introduced as a direct replacement to the 348 in 1994. The Pininfarina-designed body is regarded as being one of the most attractive contemporary Ferrari designs, with its smooth curves and wind-tunnel-optimized aerodynamics, which took some 1,300 hours to perfect. The body is built around a steel monocoque with a tubular rear subframe and incorporates fully independent front and rear suspension with coil springs over gas-filled telescopic shock absorbers, electronic control servos and anti-roll bars.
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    1997 Ferrari F355 Spider. Estimate $125,000–150,000. Offered without reserve.
    The 355 designation comes from the increase in displacement of the rear-mounted V-8 engine, from 3.4 to 3.5 litres, and the inclusion of a new cylinder head with five valves per cylinder. A Motronic engine-management system was utilized, and total output reached 375 horsepower. The transmission was offered in both a standard gated six-speed manual or with an F-1–style paddle-shift gearbox, this example being equipped with the desirable manual-transmission option.

    This example is wonderfully preserved in as-new condition with only 704 miles and in the classic color scheme of Rosso Corsa over tan Connolly leather. Since its addition to the Ming Collection, this example has only had 10 miles added as a result of routine servicing.
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    2006 Ferrari FXX. Estimate $2,850,000–3,250,000.
    The FXX program was designed to be an experimental prototype that would be offered only to a small selection of Ferrari’s most exclusive clientele on an invite-only basis based on their passion and dedication to the brand. Only 30 units were commissioned, with the 30th presented to Michael Schumacher in 2006 on his retirement from Formula 1.

    Beneath the FXX carbon-fiber bodywork, an uprated version of the Enzo’s 6.3-liter, 65-degree V-12 was installed, boasting a peak of 789 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and 506 foot-pounds of torque peaking at 5,570 rpm. A new version of the F1 gearbox incorporated a sophisticated traction-control system to ensure the astonishing power figures are effectively put to the tarmac. The FXX is capable of sprinting to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds and to a top speed of 214 miles per hour.
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    2006 Ferrari FXX. Estimate $2,850,000–3,250,000.
    This example is offered to the public for the first time since its completion. It was delivered to the Ming Collection new at Ferrari’s private test track in Fiorano, where the owner became familiar with its capabilities before it was packed into a special crate and delivered straight to the collection. It remains in time-capsule condition, exactly as it was when received by the collection and without the Evoluzione kit which Ferrari later offered as a retrofit.

    Accompanying the FXX is the complete array of FXX accoutrements, including all tools, trackside equipment, a second set of unused racing wheels with Bridgestone Potenza slicks, and a full assortment of unused factory Ferrari Puma race gear and a Schuberth helmet as delivered with the car.
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    2007 Ferrari F430 Spider. Estimate $200,000–250,000. Offered without reserve.
    The idea that the F430 and its predecessor, the 360, are the same with the exception of a handful of styling changes is a common misconception. Though the 360 and F430 share the same basic chassis and layout, as a whole the two are very different entities. The Alcoa space-frame aluminum chassis was strengthened in the F430, and aerodynamics have been further refined for optimal downforce and minimal drag. This example was ordered new through Ferrari of San Francisco by the Ming Collection and features a host of special-order options, including Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, Daytona seats, Scuderia shields, interior and exterior carbon-fiber panels, navigation and Bluetooth, red French-stitched leather interior trim with a fire extinguisher housed in a matching leather cover, and more, totaling $70,000 in options.
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    2007 Ferrari F430 Spider. Estimate $200,000–250,000. Offered without reserve.
    The F430 is powered by a 4.3-liter F136 V-8 engine, featuring dry-sump lubrication and cylinder heads with four valves per cylinder. Both the cylinder heads and valves were sourced from Scuderia Ferrari’s Formula 1 efforts. The F1 electrohydraulic six-speed automated manual gearbox was further refined, and the rear E-diff was introduced to control the torque distribution between the rear wheels by activating two clutches inside the differential by using hydraulic fluid. The F430 was the first to showcase the manettino knob on the steering wheel to switch between five drive modes, which configure the car’s stability control, throttle response, electronic dampers, and active rear differential.
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    2013 Ferrari 458 Spider. Estimate $225,000–275,000. Offered without reserve.
    The 458 was the final Ferrari to use a naturally aspirated V-8 engine, and the 458 Spider offered the opportunity to take in even more of the melodious exhaust notes without the interference of the roof. Pininfarina carefully laid out the design under the guidance of Italian designer Donato Coco. Incorporated into the styling are a number of variable aerodynamic elements, including the aeroelastic front winglets which lower at higher speed to create additional downforce and reduce the section of the radiator inlets and lessen drag. The 458 Spider also featured a taller rear spoiler, redesigned bumpers, and vents in the front hood. The F136 V-8 that had debuted in the F430 was updated to include direct injection for the first time in a mid-engined car, and horsepower climbed to 562 horsepower. It was also the first mid-engined Ferrari not designed for a manual transmission.
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    2013 Ferrari 458 Spider. Estimate $225,000–275,000. Offered without reserve.
    Special-ordered new by the Ming Collection, this example features $110,000 in optional equipment and has been obsessively maintained since being collected by the owner, currently showing only 409 miles on the odometer. While other examples offered from the collection remain entirely original, this example was tailored to suit the owner’s tastes. It was finished in the favored hue of Rosso Corsa, with red Alcantara inserts highlighting the black leather interior and bespoke carbon-fiber adornments created to the same exacting standard as the factory components. An Akrapovic exhaust system was added, with an electronic valve to switch between modes. Novitec lowering springs, Capistro wheel spacers and titanium lug nuts were fitted to give the 458 a more aggressive stance.
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