Not far from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway sits a collection of Ferraris hidden away for decades. The collection contains some of the most storied cars, including a 1956 250 GT, once owned by King Mohamed V of Morocco, and a “long-nose” 275 GTB that participated in the 1966 Targa Florio. While the location in Indiana may seem odd for this collection, how they arrived is even more unusual.
Hurricane Charley laid waste to many parts of south-central Florida in 2004, causing flooding and widespread damage. In its path sat a barn containing approximately 20 rare and vintage Ferraris. The collection includes cars dating from 1954 to 1991, including the aforementioned 250 GT and 275 GTB as well as a rare Mondial 500 Spider that raced in the 1954 Mille Miglia and a NART 1978 Ferrari 512 BB Competizione developed by Luigi Chinetti Sr. for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 2004 hurricane season was unusually destructive, with four major storms, including Charley, that caused over $60 billion in damage and more than 3,000 deaths throughout the Caribbean and Gulf Coast of the US. For that reason, this collection of Ferraris was relocated to the warehouse in Indiana, where they remained untouched for almost 20 more years.
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Several of these cars still bear scars from Hurricane Charley, when the barn they were located in partially collapsed. The damage includes everything from dents and scratches to smashed windshields and caved-in roofs. Other cars look unscathed but need a good detailing to revive their appearances. All of them are in original, unrestored condition, wearing their original paint and patina.
While many people knew of the cars from their racing histories, few knew they still existed, and only a select group knew of the collection. It’s the holy grail of barn finds for Ferrari collectors and aficionados. And now the entire collection is for sale as part of this year’s RM Sotheby’s auction in Monterrey, California.
If you’re shopping for a Ferrari, or are interested browsing a diverse collection of Ferraris, check out the ones for sale on the duPont Registry. The list includes modern cars like the Ferrari F8 Tributo and SF90 Stradale and vintage Ferraris like the Dino 246 GTS and 512 BBi.
