1964 Ferrari 250 LM Coupe

This Ferrari 250 LM is number 23rd of 32 examples constructed. It was ordered through Maranello Concessionaires by privateer Ronald Fry. Fry had traded in his 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis number 3869GT), which he had campaigned quite successfully over the 1963 and 1964 seasons.

The Ferrari 250 LM was powered by a mid-mounted, 3.3-liter V12 engine and was designed to compete as a sports prototype.

In 1965, chassis 5893 took 1st overall at the 24 Hours of LeMans, making it the last Ferrari to ever do so. Thus, the Ferrari 250 LM is widely lauded as one of the greatest Ferraris of all time.

While in Fry's ownership, chassis 6105 was actively campaigned on hill climbs, sprints, and club races around England for the rest of 1964 through to 1966. Fry was never involved in a major accident with the car and the car remained in exceptionally original condition. In October 1966, the car returned to the Earls Court Motor Show, where it was displayed by Maranello Concessionaires.

Prior to the start of the 1967 racing season, Fry sold his 250 LM in January 1967 to David S.D. Skailes, of Staffordshire, who registered the car on plates BFB 932 B. Soon after, the engine was overhauled by the Ferrari factory in Maranello and, at the same time, had body specialist Piero Drogo install a long nose on the car. Skailes continued to race the car at events in the UK and even campaigned the car, with Eric Liddell, at the nine-hour race at Kyalami in South Africa, placing 6th overall.

In October of 1968, the 250 LM was purchased through Maranello Concessionaires by its third owner, Jack Maurice of Northumberland, who traded in his 275 GTB in order to make the purchase. The car was then re-registered on license plates JM 265. Maurice continued to campaign his 250 LM on hill climbs and sprints around the United Kingdom. For the 1970 season, Maurice had accumulated eight class wins, placed 2nd in the Shell Leader's Hill Climb Championship, and won the Baracca Trophy and the David Poter Trophy for his exploits on the track.

After the 1970 season, the car took a brief respite from competition and was featured in a pair of articles. Over the winter of 1975 and 1976, Maurice had the engine rebuilt at Diena & Silingardi's Sport Auto in Modena. In 1976, the car was sold. The car was owned by Martin Johnson before it entered the care of Richard Colton, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Mr. Colton returned the car back to the track, participating in even more hill climbs and sprints around the UK. After four years of racing, Colton decided to treat the car to a restoration, bringing it back to its original specification. Colton purchased an original Scaglietti nose for a 250 LM from Robert Fehlmann, replacing the car's Drogo long-nose, and had it fitted to the car during its restoration. After the work was completed, the car was shown at a pair of Ferrari Owners' Club meeting in the UK, one in July at Eastington Hall and the other in September at Avisford Park.

The car's first owner outside of the UK was Mr. Yoshiyuki Hayashi of Tokyo who took delivery in 1984. Hayashi kept the car in his collection for 11 years before it was sold to another Japanese collector, Yoshiho Matsuda, who also owned a 250 GTO and 250 Testa Rossa. The car spent three years in the United States with Kevin Crowder, of Dallas, Texas, before returning to Europe and was owned by Robert Sarrailh and Andrea Burani before being purchased by Pierre Mellinger, of Lausanne, Switzerland. Mr. Mellinger exercised the car frequently, using it on several European driving events. Mellinger drove the car on the Italia Classica in September 2011 from Maranello to Venice and back, as well as in the Tour Auto in April 2012. Also in 2012, the car was driven by Mellinger at the Le Mans Classic.

Later in 2012, the car was sold to its current custodian.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2015