Robin Adams ©2024 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
RM Sotheby’s is excited to offer the ultimate version of early Testa Rossas, the 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider. It is an impossibly rare, exquisitely shaped, and powerfully specified touchstone of sports car racing’s most glorious epoch and another RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction highlight.
To understand the 625 TRC’s place in Ferrari’s history, we need to start with the man who commissioned these cars, John von Neumann. He played a pivotal role in Ferrari’s history by commissioning the 625 TRC and establishing the Italian marque in California, a crucial market then.
He began his career with International Motors and became a crucial figure in the burgeoning sports car scene. His purchase of a 500 Mondial in 1954 marked the start of a significant relationship with Ferrari.
As a member of the illustrious Testa Rossa family possessing a clear, unbroken chain of ownership from John von Neumann, the man who commissioned these cars, to the present custodian, 0680, along with its “sibling” 0672, are among the most famous of all West Coast racing Ferraris.
The epitome of California hot-rod culture is captured with these cars, most notably with 0672 receiving the V-12 250 TR engine—but von Neumann’s foresight to request a larger 2.5-litre 625 engine for 0680 ignited massive success on the racing track, with the car achieving 21 podium finishes and 10 overall or class victories across over 40-period races.
It is one of only two examples factory-equipped with the larger 2.5-liter engine. It is currently fitted with a roaring 3-litre Colombo short-block V-12 engine accompanied by its original matching-numbers 625-specification engine, and it is widely considered one of the most beautiful body designs ever created.
A winner in period and proven vintage racer, the 625 TRC offers a mouth-watering range of possibilities for the new custodian. With extensive service records on file, including an engine service by famed shop Patrick Ottis Co. in 2011, which showed an incredible power output of 322 horsepower on the dyno, 0680 is perfectly set up for a return to the racetrack or rallies like the Colorado Grand.
Likewise, the prospect of restoring the car back to its iconic von Neumann livery and four-cylinder Tipo 625 configuration, using the original engine supplied with the vehicle, could transform 0680 into an absolute star at the most prestigious Concours events on the planet (Estimate: $9,000,000 – $11,000,000).
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