Fresh on the heels of the successful Ferrari 250 GTO (4675 GT) offering, RM Auctions announced that it is representing the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am (chassis number 0858) for private treaty sale.
This 1967 Ferrari 330 P4, later named 350 Can-Am, has a significant provenance with a well-documented international racing career spanning a number of different continents from Australia to South Africa and Europe. For nearly 40 years it has been under the care of its current owner, during which it has only be shown at very few exclusive events in the United States, including an appearance at the Rolex Monterey Historic automobile races in 1995 and again in 2003.
“With only three original P4s ever built, cars like this exceptional, race-winning example only come to market on the rarest of occasions. RM is delighted to have been chosen to offer this extremely rare and highly desirable example for private treaty sale,” says Peter Wallman, Car Specialist, RM Auctions.
“Having been under the care of its current owner for nearly 40 years, its offering presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the most iconic and achingly beautiful Ferrari sports racing prototypes of all time – truly an important piece of Scuderia Ferrari racing history,” Wallman adds.
Only three 330 P4s were built, chassis numbers 0856, 0858 and 0860. In addition, Ferrari 330 P3 0846 was updated to P4 specifications. These four cars made up the factory team in 1967.
After the 1967 season the international regulations were changed and there was no longer a place for the large displacement sports prototypes. Ferrari brought two of the 330 P4s (chassis 0858, the car offered, and chassis 0860) back to the factory and converted them for use in the North American Can-Am series – an event long awaited by Ferrari’s loyal and passionate US customer base. The formula for a Can-Am car was straightforward: ultra-light body shell and lots of power. The P4s were modified as such in Maranello with notable features including a smooth front-end devoid of any lights, a more stylised rear spoiler and two air intakes curving outward to the fuel injection trumpets.
The heart of the car, however, remained pure P4. 0858’s engine was enlarged to a slightly more muscular 4.2-litres by increasing its bore to 79 mm. Greater compression resulted in an increase in power as well. Both Ferraris were designated as 350 Can-Ams. Entered by William Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors and liveried with longitudinal red and white racing stripes, 0858 ran in three races late in the 1967 season – the Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, the Riverside Grand Prix and the Stardust Grand Prix in Las Vegas, driven twice by Amon and finally by the young factory driver Jonathan Williams of Britain.
In 1968 chassis 0858 was sold to David McKay’s Scuderia Veloce in Australia and was immediately entered in its only Australian race at Surfers Paradise. Paul Hawkins secured its purchase from Australia and had it shipped immediately to South Africa for the Springbok Series. The 1968 season in South Africa proved to be extremely rewarding for 0858 with five outright victories and two second-place and one third-place finish.
In early 1969 chassis 0858 then made a brief reappearance in Europe where twice it finished first overall but did not finish at Dijon in May because of a flat tyre. 0858 was then sold through David Piper to Alistair Walker who sent it back to South Africa where it was entered in such prestigious events as the 9 Hours of Kyalami, Cape Town 3 Hours and the Laurenço Marques 3 Hours in Mozambique. Piper then bought the car back from Walker in 1971 before its current owner acquired 0858 from Piper. Since its purchase, the owner has treasured this important works Ferrari for nearly 40 years, having only shown it at very few exclusive events in the United States.
The 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am (chassis 0858) was last publicly seen at RM’s Ferrari Leggenda e Passione Auction on May 17th, 2010, where it failed to sell at a high bid of $9,968,750.
For further information on this car, contact an RM specialist at +1 519 352 4575 or +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.
1967 Ferrari 330 P4 / 350 Can-Am chassis 0858 – Photo Gallery
[Source: RM Auctions; photo credit: Shooterz.biz © courtesy RM Auctions]
If nearly $10 million didn’t buy it, what would it take?
To my knowledge, this car was campaigned by Luigi Chinetti’s NART organization at Laguna Seca in ’67, then by Bill Harrah’s boys at Riverside and Las Vegas. This car is special in that it was one of two the P4s sent back to Italy early in 1967 by Chinetti to have Maranello re-vamp the basic P4 into a more competitive Can Am machine.
That said chassis 0858 and its sister car set the stage for Ferrari to enter the Can Am in 1968 as a factory effort with the mighty 612 (chassis 0866); and later the 712 (chassis 1010), both purpose built Can Am weapons from Italy’s best.
It’s very exciting to see 0858 outfitted as it would have appeared on the grid at a Can Am event late in 1967. Putting a number on this very rare steed from Maranello is next to impossible, but whoever does walk away with 0858 is getting an incredible piece of Can Am history.
This car raced at Australian circuits other than Surfers Paradise in 1968 – certainly Warwick Farm in Sydney, Sandown in Melbourne and Longford in Tasmania. It was mostly driven by a Chris Amon but also by Australian Bill Brown.