‘Not all clubs are the same’ Ferrari states on the presentation brochure for its new Club Competizione GT, a new non-competitive factory programme for Ferrari GT racing cars built between 1993 and today, poised to take place at five circuits around the world in 2019. And it’s got a point – the thought alone of 348 GT Competiziones and F40 GTEs sharing the asphalt of Mugello and Indianapolis with 575 GTCs and 458 Italia GT2s is enough to send your pulse racing. And the new initiative is one that Jan Lühn, a strong advocate and collector of these special Ferrari racers, believes will only heighten interest and, ultimately, values moving forward.
“Ferrari was well aware of the increased values of its modern racing cars and believed there was enough interest and were enough cars to run such a programme,” he comments. “And even if values of the most significant Works cars have doubled or even tripled in the last two years, I still believe they’re undervalued. Club Competizione GT will only serve to lend them more credibility.” He cites their rarity, straightforwardness to run, safety in comparison to 1950s and ’60s cars, and approachability as just some of the factors that make them so attractive to new collectors. Plus, with the emergence of not only Club Competizione but also the Masters and Global Endurance Legends series’, there are myriad opportunities to actually get out and use the cars as intended. Jean Guikas of GTC Guikas is of the same opinion, having seen younger customers less motivated by older historic Ferraris. “We had three Ferrari 575 GTCs for sale,” he comments. “We sold two very easily, the second of which for twice the price of the first, and we’ve had very high bids for the third, which has Le Mans history. But we’re going to keep that and I’m going to drive it in the series myself.”
Looking for the right car with which to enter Club Competizione and really make a statement with the big boys in the XX and F1 Clienti programmes? You’re in luck: RM Sotheby’s has just consigned the most successful F40 LM – a car James Cottingham described to us as the F40 – to its Paris sale in February.
Full Story on Classic Driver