Image: 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza (Estimate: $3,500,000 – $4,500,000)
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company, LLC. Image by Mathieu Heurtault.

Unrestored 750 Monza, Roberto Rossellini’s First Ferrari, and the New Woodstock Collection of Remarkable Barn Finds Unveiled in Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island Catalogue Launch

The Amelia Island Auctions catalogue features exceptionally historic offerings in largely unrestored condition, including a Ferrari 750 Monza, a Ferrari 212 Export Spider first owned by Roberto Rossellini, and the New Woodstock Collection of barn finds.

 Gooding Christie’s Amelia Island Auctions, its 16th annual sale at the Omni Amelia Island Resort, will feature an incredible array of largely unrestored 1950s Ferraris from important North American collections, including a Ferrari 750 Monza, a Ferrari 212 Export Spider and a Ferrari 342 America Coupe. The 342 America, along with several Porsche 356s, a Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport, a Morgan Three-Wheeler Sports, and a Vincent Series C Comet, are all being offered without reserve from the New Woodstock Collection, an exciting assortment of true barn finds recently unearthed in Upstate New York. All of these offerings, along with the rest of the Amelia Island Auctions catalogue, now published online, will be available for sale on Thursday, March 5 and Friday March 6 at Gooding Christie’s flagship Florida venue. Registration to bid for the upcoming sale is available via goodingco.com to interested parties.

Gooding Christie’s President David Gooding said: “The significance of these rare, historic Ferraris coming to auction for the first time in many decades in such well-preserved, largely unrestored condition cannot be overstated enough. Each time a car such as the 750 Monza, the 212 Export Spider, or the Ghia-bodied 342 America come to market, let alone in such untouched condition, it proves to be a monumental occasion for the collecting world at large. The 212 is especially notable as the very Ferrari that initiated legendary Italian director Roberto Rossellini’s love affair with the Prancing Horse marque, car collecting, and competitive racing. We are honored by the opportunity to offer such standout selections at our sale next month.”

The Scaglietti-bodied 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza (Estimate: $3,500,000 – $4,500,000), chassis and engine 0522 M, stands as one of the headlining lots of the upcoming sale, presented in largely unrestored condition. An incredible example of Ferrari’s first big-bore, four-cylinder Lampredi sports car, this 750 Monza was delivered new to Italian racer Franco Corancchia of Scuderia Guastalla, one of the most influential figures in early Ferrari history. Successfully raced in period in both Europe and the US, 0522 M was driven by Brazilian ace Chico Landi in the 1955 Gran Premio di Bari. Upon making its way to the US, it competed in California during the 1956-1957 season under owners Alan Le May and Jack Bates. Throughout its lifetime, this 750 Monza has belonged to some of the most prominent names in collecting, including Otto Zipper, Briggs Cunningham, and Augie Pabst. Offered publicly for the first time in a generation, 0522 M is among a handful of 750 Monzas in largely preserved condition, having been maintained for nearly 40 years in one of the most significant private collections in North America.

Also featured is the 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Spider (Estimate: $2,000,000 – $3,000,000), chassis and engine 0076E, an important, early even-serial-numbered competition car wearing exquisite Michelotti-styled Spider coachwork by Carrozzeria Vignale. Chassis 0076E made its debut at the Geneva and Torino Motor Shows in Spring 1951. It was at the Torino show where legendary Italian director Roberto Rossellini, in attendance with Ingrid Bergman, first laid eyes on this exact car. Rossellini would go on to acquire 0076E in 1951, marking his very first purchase of the Prancing Horse sort and serving as the catalyst for one of Ferrari history’s most romantic, culturally significant, and well-documented associations where Italian cinema, international celebrity, and the Ferrari name first converged. Today, this 212 Export Spider presents as a worthy restoration candidate, and is being offered for the first time in over 40 years from prominent North American ownership.

Gooding Christie’s is proud to offer six lots, entirely without reserve, from the New Woodstock Collection, a selection of true barn finds unearthed after years of long-term, static storage from the garage of the late Robert J. Chevako of New Woodstock, New York. The centerpiece of the collection is the 1951 Ferrari 342 America Coupe (Estimate: $900,000 – $1,200,000, Without Reserve), chassis and engine 0130 AL. The first of only seven 342 Americas built between 1951 and 1953, this example is one of only 36 Ferraris, and the sole 342 America, bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia. It was displayed at the Paris and London Motor Shows in October 1951 before ownership by its first custodian, famed British industrialist David Brown of Aston Martin Lagonda renown. Never before restored, exhibited, or offered for public sale, 0130 AL is one of the most compelling and historically important early Ferrari projects to appear at auction in recent memory.

The New Woodstock Collection also features the 1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport (Estimate: $350,000 – $450,000, Without Reserve), an archetypal "barn find” Bugatti. Offered from over 60 years of ownership with the late Robert J. Chevako, this Type 40 Grand Sport is an original-bodied example retaining its matching-numbers engine. Additional barn-find offerings from the collection include a pair of Porsche 356s: a rare “Pre-A” 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster (Estimate: $140,000 – $180,000, Without Reserve) and a desirably patinated early-production 1951 Porsche 356 Coupe (Estimate: $100,000 – $150,000, Without Reserve) delivered new in striking Adriablau (Adria Blue). A 1933 Morgan Three-Wheeler Sports (Estimate: $15,000 – $20,000, Without Reserve) fitted with the sought-after and powerful J.A. Prestwich engine, as well as a late-production 1951 Vincent Series C Comet (Estimate: $10,000 – $15,000, Without Reserve), round out the collection.

Amelia Island Auctions
Date: Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6
Location: Racquet Park, Omni Amelia Island Resort
Public Preview: Wednesday, March 4 through Friday, March 6
General Admission: $50, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register
Live Auction Broadcast: www.goodingco.com