Ferraris sparkle at Monterey auctions

The car was the 19th of just 32 produced and was sold new to Bill Harrah via Chinetti Motors. Harrah kept the car for two years, racking up 800 miles of road use before selling it to a doctor in Beverly Hills, who continued to use it in a similar fashion. It was shown at Pebble Beach in 1969 before suffering a crash, and passing through a number of hands prior to its restoration was finally completed in 1992.

In the same sale was a 1967 Ferrari 275GTB/4 once owned by Steve McQueen. The car was delivered new to the actor while he was on the set of Bullitt, and remained with him for four years. It was also owned by Lost in Space star Guy Williams, and was owned by Vern Schuppan when it was entered into the auction. It fetched $10,175,000.

Another '67 275GTB/4, this time without the McQueen connection, sold for $3,750,000.

An alloy-bodied 1965 275GTB later in the sale cost its new owner $3,382,500.

A 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé with bodywork by Pinin Farina, also in the RM sale and one of the stars of this year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, changed hands for $2,750,000.

In comparison, the 1961 250GT NART Spider bodied by Fantuzzi seemed a relative bargain, with a final sale price of $1,017,500. Its unusual bodywork attracted plenty of attention.

Back at Bonhams, a 1958 250GT Series 1 fetched $6,820,000, while a '53 250MM once driven by Phil Hill made a shade more at $7,260,000.

Dino prices showed no signs of cooling either, as a 1974 246GTS sold for $440,000 at Gooding & Co.