The Ferrari
1954 Mondial 500 Series I Spider, £3.9-4.7 million (estimate)
This car, one of only 12 to this spec, was at the epicentre of Californian road racing and society high-life from the day it arrived Stateside from Maranello in 1954. It was ordered by Porfirio Rubirosa, the fast-driving, polo-playing, aircraft-flying bon vivant often cited as the world’s greatest playboy. His girlfriend, cheering him on in the car’s first race at Santa Barbara, was Zsa Zsa Gabor.
It was at Santa Barbara that James Dean was pictured with the car in a famous image (though the car didn’t tempt him enough to switch allegiances form Porsche). Others who were tempted to race it were Phil Hill and Richie Ginther. Phil Hill actually blew the engine in it, and later – this being the US in the 1950s – the 2.0-litre, four-pot Ferrari motor was swapped for a Chevy V8.
No longer: the car is now said to be “as new” after a complete rebuild by Ferrari Classiche. Since then it has won some pretty big gongs, including First In Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Platinum Award for Best Restored Ferrari from the Ferrari Club of America. Buy it for all of that plus its beautiful Pinin Farina coachwork, and its connections with the rich and famous – the car’s colourful past is said to be documented in a massive history file.