Rusted Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Sells for Whopping R35 Million, Mzansi People Can’t Understand the Hype

Rusted Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Sells for Whopping R35 Million, Mzansi People Can’t Understand the Hype

  • A beaten-up 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider recently sold for a whopping R35 million
  • The car is said to have an extremely rare value due to its history, but still, people don't understand the price tag
  • Apparently, the car could be restored to its former glory despite looking like a pile of junk

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The tale of the beaten-up 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider selling for a jaw-dropping R35 million at the RM Sotheby's auction during the Monterey Car Week is like something out of a vintage Hollywood movie.

1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider, classic cars, auction
This beaten-up 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider recently sold for a whopping R35 million, and Mzansi does not understand why someone would pay that. Image: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Beaten-up 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider sells for R35 million

This whopping price tag, which could buy you five brand new Ferrari 296 GTBs and then some, shows that folks still go nuts for those classic Ferraris, even if they look more like a scrapyard project than a sleek speedster.

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Once upon a racetrack, this Ferrari was living the high life, but then came the 1960s and, well, a fiery mishap. Left to gather dust for decades, along came Hurricane Charley in 2004 – talk about a plot twist! Suddenly, this weather-beaten car, along with 20 others, made it to the spotlight in a Floridian "barn find" extravaganza.

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Goes to show that what's one person's junk is another person's dream.

South Africans can't understand the hype around car

Many Mzansi people took to the comment section of a social media post sharing the whopping price tag to express their disbelief.

Read some of the comments below:

Dyalan Munsami shared:

“That car is historic and the only 500 Mondial in the world, once the car has been restored and rebuilt, it can sell for upwards of between 10 and 30M USD, those guys will be laughing all the way to the bank when the car is completed. What matters is the chassis VIN and papers!!!”

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Mokgalaka Wa-Sedibeng suggested:

“Just donate the money to poor people, otherwise, it's money laundering.”

Sthembiso Jzaa Makhathini wanted to know:

“What will I benefit if I buy it? Will I make more money after recent years???”

Sizwe Dlamini couldn't deal:

“Can someone please pass me a stiff tot of whiskey.”

One man's junk, another man's dream

Sure, fixing this rusty relic will probably cost more than an arm and a spoiler, but those who know their horsepower from their hay bales believe it's a wise investment.

Take the $30 million sale of a 1967 Ferrari 412P and the nearly $10 million splurged on a banged-up 1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta in the same auction – it's like art for the speed-loving soul.

With only a handful of these 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spiders ever built, they're rarer than a humble traffic jam in rush hour. And let's not forget that it's packing a nifty four-cylinder 2-litre engine, perfect for those twisty tracks where long straights are about as common as a quiet vuvuzela.

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Ultimately, this scrappy, almost-forgotten car's sky-high sale price isn't just about metal and wheels; it's a testament to the undying love for vintage cars that roar with history and exclusivity.

Rare 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder, of which only 90 were built found in barn, set to sell for over R35 million

In related news, Briefly News reported that one of Porsche's most beautiful and rare cars will be auctioned after being found in a Swiss barn after 40 years.

Porsche built 90 examples of the 550 Spyder model between 1953 and 1956 and is inextricably linked with James Dean's death in a 1955 crash, reports Drive.com.au.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Denika Herbst avatar

Denika Herbst (Editor) Denika Herbst is a Human Interest writer at Briefly News. She is also an Industrial Sociologist with a master's degree in Industrial Organisational and Labour Studies from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, which she completed in 2020. She is now a PhD candidate at UKZN. Denika has over five years of experience writing for Briefly News (joined in 2018), and a short time writing for The South African. You can reach her via: denika.herbst@briefly.co.za.

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