Significant Jaguar and Ferrari Racers Headline Amelia Island Sale

One of Jaguar’s best known competition cars and one not seen in the market for many years is being offered without reserve at next month’s Amelia Island sale being conducted from by Broad Arrow auctions.

The Jaguar D-Type, registered ‘OKV2’, is part of the famous ‘OKV1-2-3’ triumvirate which contested the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hour race but could only manage a second-place finish with OKV1. 

As for OKV2, it was the designated ‘lead’ car shared by Stirling Moss and Peter Walker, setting the fastest lap by a Jaguar before retiring from the race at half distance.

The car was then retained for several years by Jaguar and raced sporadically before being sold in 1960 and later involved in a crash which proved fatal for the driver. The car then disappeared for 15 years before being bought and restored by Jaguar specialists Lynx Engineering.

More recently, it has spent time in the USA where it is being sold without reserve at a surprisingly low guide price of US$6.5-8.5 million.

The second of only eight aluminum-bodied Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competiziones, it’s no wonder this beauty has a guide price of US$10-14 million (Image: Broad Arrow Auctions)

Those figures see the Jaguar ranked second on Broad Arrows’ list of offerings, behind only a Ferrari 250GT California Spider which is expected to exceed the US$12 million mark.

This fully restored Ferrari, one of only eight made, also comes with competition history including a fifth place at Le Mans in 1959. It was restored in 1981 and won an award when first shown at the 1983 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

After passing through the hands of several owners, the California Spider remains in concours condition while still contesting some quite serious sports cars race events.

Further down the list at Amelia Island sit several cars almost as scarce but less costly than the Jag or Ferrari. A road-going Stradale version of the mid-engined Lancia Stratos which was originally sold in Germany is one of the most enticing among them, with it expected to bring home US$600,000.

Alongside the Lancia sit two scarce and early BMW sports cars – a 507 V8 from the 1950s which is expected to reach US$1 million, and a pre-WW2 328 with historic motorsport and Pebble Beach show credentials.

This stunning BMW 507 scores the third spot on the Amelia Island valuation podium, with a guide price of US$2.1-2.3 million (Image: Broad Arrow Auctions)

Likely more significant for Americans in the crowd will be the truly unique 1960 Corvette ‘Fuellie’ with a guide price of US$1.0-1.3 million.

While that might seem like immense money for an early Corvette, that’s before recognising this as a car built by the factory-backed Casner Motor Racing Division (aka Camoradi) which finished second in class and 10th outright at Le Mans in 1960.

It was then believed to be lost until discovered in Sweden where it had been taken to contest that country’s Grand Prix, where it was left crashed and abandoned for decades until returned to the USA in 1991.

Another rarity with US connections is the Apollo 5000GT which combines an Italian built body with Buick mechanicals and underpinnings. The sleek two-seater is one of 76 originally built in 1965, although the total number of survivors is unknown. The Apollo will likely offer good buying for someone with a predicted top bid of US$190,000.

Broad Arrow’s Florida auction runs from March 7-8, although the time difference means it’ll be a day later in Australian time, in conjunction with the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Details of all lots available can be found on the Broad Arrow website.

This Corvette wears a US$1.0-1.3 million valuation as it finished second in class and 10th overall in the 1960 Le Mans 24 Hours (Image: Broad Arrow Auctions)