If cars were books, this one would be a veritable 1,000-page epic, having already spanned decades, continents and a few finish lines. Now it just needs someone to write the last few chapters.
The Admiral’s 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial is up for auction this August in Pebble Beach, and suffice to say, the racing and cultural legend is ready for a porch and rocking chair somewhere quiet.
The four-cylinder motor race car (unusual for a Ferrari) was piloted by François Picard in the 1955 Grand Prix de Paris, took first in class in the 1955 Grand Prix of Venezuela, was purchased by famed Dominican playboy Purfirio Rubirosa, and then raced two dozen more times over four years … until it was found (kind of; it was holed up in the corner of a dealership under a dusty hood) by Naval officer Richard Phillips. The Admiral. He would eventually drive it from Oakland to New Jersey after a transfer, and has held on to the vehicle ever since.
For the last eight years, the Mondial has been painstakingly restored to its mid-20th century splendor. That, coupled with 58 years of ownership, explain why The Admiral’s blue-hued #8 Mondial is looking like a spring chicken, while similar models offered in auction appear a bit worse for wear.
Find more info on the lot (and feel free to sail right off that daydreaming cliff) here.
Image and video via Petrolicious
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