RM AUCTIONS TO OFFER MOST VALUABLE CAR IN AMERICA'S AUCTION HISTORY AT 2006 MONTEREY EVENTFamed 1958 Ferrari 412 S, One of the Greatest Racing Ferraris in History,  Expected to Break $6.5 Million Record at Prestigious Auto Auction - August 19, 2006

RM Auctions, North America's premier collector  car auction house, is honored to present the legendary  1958  Ferrari 412  S race car at the 2006 Monterey Sports and Classic Car Auction on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at the Portola Plaza Hotel in Monterey, California.  This one-of- a-kind  racing  Ferrari,  one of the greatest racers in  Ferrari's  famed  motor sports  history, driven by legendary drivers like Phil Hill and Richie  Ginther,is  the most valuable car ever offered before at a North American auction.  

The 412 S is predicted to smash RM's own record-breaking sale of the Le Mans winning 1962  Ferrari  Testa Rossa 330 TRI/LM that sold at RM's 2002 Monterey  sale  for $6.5 Million.

"The  412 S is by far, one of the most valuable automobiles in the world,"  said Rob  Myers of RM Auctions.  "From the dominant engine to the long list of racing giants  who  have  climbed behind the wheel, the 412 S  has  everything  serious collectors  could ask for.  We anticipate significant international  bidding  at our  Monterey  sale  for the opportunity to own one of the  rarest  Ferraris  in history."

There  is  no  question the ex-Scuderia 1958 Ferrari 412 S (with chassis  number "0744")  with coachwork originally by Scaglietti is one of, if not the greatest, sports racing Ferraris ever built.  This historically significant car represents one of the only examples Ferrari built specifically to challenge American racers on  the  North American SCCA circuit. Throughout its life and different  owners, the  412  S was continually raced by a who's who of famed drivers such  as  Phil Hill,  Richie Ginther, Skip Hudson, Fred Knoop and Steve Earle, who used  it  to promote the first Monterey Historic Races in 1973.

This absolutely singular and peerless racecar is capable of developing more than 440  horsepower  from its Vittorio Bellantani-designed four-cam, twelve-cylinder engine,  the  most  powerful engine offered by Ferrari at the time.  The  engine installed  by  the Ferrari Factory in the 412 S was originally used  in  the  De Portago  335 S racer that had been constructed for use in the 1957 Mille  Miglia race.  Following the race, the engine was returned to the Factory where  it  was further improved and essentially hot rodded for use in the single seat racecar entered  in  the "Race of Two Worlds".  At the Monza Indianapolis "Race  of  Two Worlds," Luigi Musso qualified for the pole, pushing the car to speeds in excess of 174 mph on one of the world's most competitive tracks.

Following  the  race and at the request of its first privateer owner,  John  Von Neumann,  the special engine was mated to a new sports racing chassis which  had just  finished competing as a Ferrari factory team car.  It was at this juncture that the nomenclature of the 412 S became widely known and designated as the 412 MI  (Monza  Indianapolis).  Von Neumann campaigned the car until he sold  it  to J.B.  Nethercutt  in 1959.  The 412 S has since changed several  times  and  has competed in some of the world's premier vintage racing events.

The  412  S  represents the ultimate opportunity to own a  singular  example  of Ferrari's  greatest  achievements with a provenance that includes  nearly  every major  racing  event  around the world while offering, as the  great  Phil  Hill describes,  "the most delicious sound of any vintage Ferrari."  The  412  S  was visually  inspected,  scrutinized and certified in 2005 by  the  Factory,  which verified that the engine and drivetrain have been maintained regularly while  in the stable of its current owner for the last 11 years.

RM  Auctions  will offer approximately 200 of the world's finest  vintage  motor cars at the 2006 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction. The auction will be held at the elegant Portola Plaza Hotel at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey, California.

Activities are held August 17, 18 & 19, with auction previews daily on Thursday, Friday  and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The auction sale  times  are 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m on Friday, August 18 and Saturday, August 19.

Admission to the Monterey Sport and Classic Car Auction sale is $30 per  person, with  children  12  and  under admitted free of charge. An  auction  catalog  is available  for  an additional $80 U.S., including shipping and  handling  within North America, by calling 800-211-4371