1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Carrozzeria Scaglietti Sold For $14.3 Million

The star lot of Thursday’s Art of the Automobile Auction held at Sotheby’s New York, the 1964 250 LM by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, becomes the third most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction.

And, thanks to a final bid of $14.3 million (€10.58 million) it is both a world record price for an example of the Carrozzeria Scaglietti-designed racing car and an amount large enough to gain the car entry to that most exclusive of lists — namely the top 10 list of the most expensive cars in history — Ferraris or not — to go under the hammer.

It may take some doing to dislodge the car currently in first place, Fangio’s 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 Single-Seater, which sold at Bonhams in July for an incredible $29,650,095 (€22,701,864). Still, this Ferrari 250 LM, of which only 32 were ever built, is viewed as equally special to Prancing Horse aficionados.

It was the first Ferrari to use a mid-engine layout meaning that Mr Scaglietti could ‘go crazy’ with the body shell design, wrapping the panels round the shorter body and creating the Ferrari design principles that persist to this day.

And that engine, a 320-horsepower V12, was a technological and engineering marvel, blitzing the competition. All of which explains the frenzied bidding and why the final price paid make the car the fourth most expensive in history — just behind two other Ferraris — a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider which sold this year for $27.5 million (€20.35 million) in August and a 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype which fetched $16.39 million (€12.1 million) in 2011.

These prices may sound incredible and suggest that a classic car bubble is about to burst, but the truth is that the prices paid at auction are usually much lower than those paid in private and brokered sales. The Ferrari 250 GTO is the ultimate classic collectors’ car yet it never gets a chance to get as far as an auction and as a result they regularly change hands for upwards of $40 million (€30 million). Expect chaos if one were actually to make it into an auction catalogue.

The same auction also set a new record for the price paid for a Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II, a 1961 example fetching $2 million.

So, as of today, the top 10 most expensive cars ever sold at auction are:

1. 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R Formula 1 Single-Seater $29,650,095 (€22,701,864)
2. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider $27,500,000 (€20.35 million)
3. 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype $16,390,000 (€12.13 million).
4. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Carrozzeria Scaglietti $14,300,000 (€10.58 million).
5. 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ $12,812,800 (€9.48 million).
6. 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa $12,402,500 (€9.17 million).
7. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster $11,770,000 (€8.7 million).
8. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione $11,275,000 (€8.3 million).
9. 1968 Ford GT40 $11,000,000 (€8.1 million).
10. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder $10,894,400 (€8 million).

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Victoria and David Beckham Donate Clothes to Red Cross for Philippines Aid

Queues formed around the block outside a London charity shop on Friday after Victoria and David Beckham donated 20 boxes of clothes and shoes to raise money for victims of the Philippines typhoon.

Designer shoes and suits belonging to the Spice Girls singer turned fashion designer and her football icon husband were on sale at the British Red Cross shop in the wealthy Chelsea neighbourhood for as little as £100 (120 euros, $160) each, a fraction of their original price.



Buyers arrived at the shop up to two hours before it opened in the hope of getting a bargain, even if most of Victoria Beckham’s clothes will be too small for the average woman.

“We’re going to close early because we’ll be sold out — everything has gone really quickly,” Red Cross spokeswoman Laura Hinks told us.

“The clothes were priced very reasonably. David and Victoria wanted everyone to have an opportunity to buy something.”

They included a pair of Victoria’s striking cow print boots and denim and snakeskin cowboy boots with her name picked out in gemstones.

A similar mass donation by Victoria Beckham to a cancer campaign in 2010 raised almost £7,000, but there were no immediate figures for Friday’s sale.

Hinks said the famous couple had set an example: “They’re really hoping this encourages other people to go to their local British Red Cross shop and donate clothes.”

The window display featured a white suit and black shirt belonging to the former England captain, while there was a t-shirt with his wife’s nickname Posh and a white jacket with “Spice Girls” on the back.

There was also a sign reading: “Customers are limited to one VB or DB item only.”

Inside, five shelves were stacked with Victoria’s shoes and a rail of David’s jumpers on sale for £35 each.

There was also a red short skirt featuring the names of the couple’s sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

Even men were even snapping up pairs of Victoria’s heels, some of which later turned up on eBay.

A woman proudly tried on her new Le Silla high heeled shoes in the street, while another showed off a yellow Chanel jacket.

Victoria Beckham had earlier posted a picture of herself on Twitter sitting among a pile of boxes as she packed up the clothes, along with another snap of a cascading pile of shoes.

“Everyone has something in their closet they were holding onto, a dress, suit, or pair of shoes they thought they might wear again,” she said in a statement.

“Dig them out, bag them up, drop them off and give someone else the chance to buy them, raising much needed funds for the Red Cross aid effort.”

Super Typhoon Haiyan, which flattened dozens of towns in the central Philippines on November 8, has left at least 5,500 dead or missing.

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Aston Martin Vanquish Volante Neiman Marcus Edition

The open-top supercar, customized by Aston Martin’s in-house Q service, was inspired by Prince Charles’s classic 1969 DB6 Volante, a car that became world famous when Prince William and Kate Middleton took it for a spin during their royal wedding.

Although the standard Aston Martin Vanquish Volante has already made its European debut, this strictly limited version will be the first example to arrive on US shores and will be the first model offered for sale on the US market.

This bespoke edition — strictly limited to 10 examples — is finished in a shade of blue that Aston calls Seychelles that was painstakingly color-matched to that of Prince Charles’s classic DB6.

It also has subtle flashes of wealth, such as badges that appear to be chromed but are actually silver on the hood and tailgate and special 20″ alloy wheels finished in what the company calls ‘liquid silver’.

Inside, the seats are finished in Obsidian Black leather and the standard Vanquish steering wheel has been replaced for the one that features in the Aston Martin One-77 hypercar.

Other notable features include a rather old fashioned walnut veneered fascia which contrasts against the ultramodern satin chrome instrumentation. Completing the look is a four-piece set of matching bespoke luggage.

Under the hood, however, it’s business as usual. The 6-liter V12 remains untouched, meaning that the car is still capable of going from 0-60mph (100km/h) in a little over 4 seconds and onto a top speed, roof up or down, of 183mph (295km/h).

The car will be unveiled to the press on November 20 and Aston Martin fans will get their first chance to see it in the flesh on November 22 when the LA Auto Show officially opens to the public.

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Karl Lagerfeld’s New Chanel Film to Debut in Dallas

The couture brand revealed a teaser for its short film “The Return,” written and directed by Chanel’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld.

This short film depicts episodes from the life and career of Gabrielle Chanel, aka Coco, portrayed by British-American actress Geraldine Chaplin. The film will make its debut on December 10 ahead of the designer’s Métiers d’Art 2013/14 fashion show, taking place this year in Dallas, Texas.

“The Return” focuses primarily on Coco Chanel’s return to the fashion scene, and on the reopening of her couture house in Paris in 1954. Karl Lagerfeld also hopes to underscore the designer’s relationship with American culture.

Charlie Chaplin’s daughter, who makes a very convincing Coco Chanel, is joined on screen by Rupert Everett, Anna Mouglalis, and Arielle Dombasle.

“The Return” will also be released on the Chanel website on December 10.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Pieces To Go on Auction at (RED) Auction

Jaeger-LeCoultre has created two custom watches set to be auctioned off at Sotheby’s in New York City for the RED campaign to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Ready to go under the hammer on November 23, both the Atmos 561 by Marc Newson clock and the Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea watch have been given special red color accents for the auction.

The Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea was remade as a tribute to the legendary diver’s watch from 1959. The luxury watch features a red dial and the RED logo engraved on the case-back.

The Atmos 561 was customized by Sir Jonathan Ive and Marc Newson and sports red accents on the hands, the month indication and the calibre’s logo, as well as a RED and Marc Newson logo on the back

Other luxury items in the sale include a red Hermès riding saddle (estimated at $100,000 – $150,000) and a pair of bespoke Christian Louboutin studded boots (estimated at $20,000 – $30,000).

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Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Final Edition

Mercedes Benz has announced Final Edition hardtop and roadster versions of the SLS AMG GT. Strictly limited to 350 examples, the cars present customers’ last ever chance to get their hands on the AMG-co-developed supercar.

And for those lucky enough to snap one up when they hit the market in March following their official reveals at the Tokyo and LA motor shows this week, there will be no need to worry that jealous onlookers won’t be able to tell just how special the car is.

Thanks to a matte black carbon fiber effect bonnet, real carbon-fiber front air-splitting chin spoiler and similarly black carbon fiber fixed rear wing, no one will be left in any doubt.

Although not to everyone’s taste, all three additions to the standard model are needed to keep the outrageously powerful car on the straight and narrow as are the specially developed Cup tires for better steering precision and increased grip. With 591 horsepower on tap, thanks to a 6.3-liter V8, it would otherwise be very easy to end up going sideways.

And even though it is a big, heavy car, it can still accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 198mph (318km/h).

One of the things that has made both the coupé and roadster versions of the car so popular since its launch in 2009 is that despite all of that bruising power — it’s the vehicular equivalent of a battering ram — it still offers all of the comfort, refinement and gadgetry of any other flagship Mercedes model.

The cabin’s soundproofing is excellent, as are the choices of materials and levels of finishing. The Final Edition’s seats, doors and center panel are trimmed in design exclusive leather with a diamond stitching pattern. The seats also feature an embossed AMG emblem while a plaque on the carbon fiber dashboard officially states the car’s number in relation to the 350 models that will be produced.

Mercedes Benz will confirm country-by-country pricing at a later date.

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Raise A Toast With The $1,000 Cocktail At Le Méridien

Those heading east to The City of Brotherly Love can stop by at Le Meridien Hotel located on 1421 Arch St. for a dazzling celebration. The hotel in Philadelphia has exclusively launched a $1,000 cocktail to raise a toast to the oncoming holidays. Le Méridien Philadelphia has teamed up with Swarovski to concoct The Getaway drink in connection with “Get Caught in Your Swarovski” campaign currently running throughout Philly .

The high-priced drink is a tasteful combination of citrus vodka, crème de violette and sparkling wine, topped with edible flowers. However it is served in a customized Swarovski martini glass which defends the thousand dollar price tag. The set of glasses is bejeweled by Swarovski Elements Product Application Manager, Nick Regine who is renowned as the “Professor of Crystal.” The limited edition cocktail is also served with two pieces of Swarovski jewelry.

Jennifer Hinkle, Director of Communications, Swarovski North America says, “Swarovski isn’t limited to red carpets and galas, it’s about adding sparkle every day as well. We’re delighted to combine our sparkle with Le Méridien’s in a special way that supports charities.“

The Getaway also raises a toast to Le Méridien’s new Sparkling cocktail menu and is already available from November 20 onward.

‘Tis the season for giving, the whole amount of $1000 will be donated to the Philadelphia charity of the buyer’s choice.

Le Méridien Philadelphia

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