Most cars spend their lives parked. Car shows, naturally, work much the same way, with many different makes and models all lined up in a static display. Parked automobiles can have their own sculptural qualities to be sure, especially when compared with one another, yet to see them in motion, turning at speed is to see a car achieving its full potential. Motor cars, after all, are made to move.

When it comes to Ferrari, this general truth is made even more salient. The prancing horse brand, perhaps more than all others, inspires thoughts of running flat-out on an empty racetrack. Either prepared for competitive driving or built for the road, sports cars built by Ferrari are made to deliver driving enjoyment. Collectors value classic Ferrari examples today because of the promise of a spirited experience on either road or track. Finding a source for these examples can prove difficult, but RM Sotheby’s latest single-owner collection is stocked with motorsport-spec Ferrari sports cars curated over a lifetime. Launching at Circuit Paul Ricard on 19 November 2021, The Guikas Collection encompasses many other marques than Ferrari, and is worth browsing in greater detail. But in honour of Ferrari Friday, we rounded up these thoroughbred Italian highlights:

1955 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione by Pinin Farina

Estimate: €7,000,000 - €9,000,000 | Offered Without Reserve

When it comes to Ferrari sports racers, the most coveted examples are typically the oldest and rarest. This stunning example was displayed at the Turin Motor Show in 1955 and is one of a mere six prototypes built and one of only three made with an aerodynamic body expertly crafted by Pinin Farina; all predecessors to the iconic 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione ‘Tour de France’. Fully documented and certified by Ferrari Classiche, this auction represents the first public appearance for this chassis, no. 0385 GT, in more than two decades, and is a real opportunity for devoted Ferraristi to capture a genuine artifact of motoring history.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series I by Pinin Farina

Estimate: €5,500,000 - €7,000,000 | Offered Without Reserve

Another masterpiece by Pinin Farina, the first series of the Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet has become so iconic in terms of design that the model is often referred to just by its nickname, “PF Cab.” While both Series I and II have their respective styling differentiators, both versions are widely considered to be some of the most subtle, yet striking sports cars ever released under the Ferrari marque. This example, with its knockout Turchese Connolly leather interior (retrimmed in 2017, back to its original shade), boasts a numbers-matching engine to complement its gorgeous exterior styling. Worthy of careful consideration for any Ferrari fan.

1961 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 by Pininfarina

Estimate: €250,000 - €300,000 | Offered Without Reserve

As 1961 dawned, Pininfarina had adopted a more streamlined name, and the firm’s collaboration with Ferrari achieved a similarly sleek aesthetic. But Ferrari always stood for performance as well as design, and therefore decided to debut their all-new 250 GTE 2+2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1960. Certainly, the Colombo V-12 engine and four-wheel power disc brakes combined to make this model a capable performer, while the 2+2 configuration increased its everyday usability. A favourite pick for Ferrari publicity from its inception, this example was chosen to represent the brand at the 1961 Paris Motor Show and must have attracted the attention of the hometown crowd, as it has had a series of five French owners from new.

1965 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti

Estimate: €2,400,000 - €2,800,000 | Offered Without Reserve

For many Ferrari aficionados, the generous proportions of the 275 GTB by Scaglietti make it the model to covet, particularly in early, so-called “short nose” configuration. Underneath its gorgeous, Blu Sera over Beige Scuro exterior paint (the original colour combination optioned from the factory), this example was specially ordered with lightweight door panels and bonnet, both fashioned from aluminium. Delivered new to its first owner, Count Fréderic Chandon de Brialles, heir to the Moët & Chandon brand, this example was raced in-period by its second owner, Claude Bouscary, who used it to great success at various European hill climb events in the mid-1960s. Bouscary’s greatest achievement with this example was an outright win at the French GT Championship in 1967, a testament to the potency of the 275 GTB model, even though relatively few were used in competition. This example is one of only 24 “short nose” examples that can boast in-period competition history.

1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti

Estimate: €600,000 - €700,000 | Offered Without Reserve

We discussed this Scaglietti-built example in a recent article about the many supercars of The Guikas Collection, but it is worthwhile to return to it again. Notable for its sharp Pininfarina design, the earliest models of the Daytona Berlinetta are coveted for their futuristic Perspex-covered headlights, which sadly were discontinued due to changing U.S. Department of Transportation regulations in the early 1970s. This example was the twelfth built and can boast not only the lighter Perspex configuration as well as its original, numbers-matching engine and gearbox.

1971 Ferrari 365 GTC/4 by Pininfarina

Estimate: €180,000 - €220,000 | Offered Without Reserve

Though shades of red are typically what one imagines for a Ferrari, by no means is that the sole colour that suits these shapely sports cars. This example, for instance, is currently painted in its original colour, Azzurro Gladiateur, a truly uncommon choice that makes this one of a mere three built. With comparable performance to the 365 GTB/4 Daytona we covered earlier, the 365 GTC/4 delivers even more practicality in terms of rear seat storage space. Considering its rare colour, this example would make for an eye-catching companion on a grand tour.

1979 Ferrari 512 BB

Estimate: €250,000 - €300,000 | Offered Without Reserve

An evolution of the 365 GT4 BB, examples like this 512 BB show how the pattern of continuous improvement within Ferrari led to major advancements. With its name itself presenting a break with tradition, the “512” designation indicated this model came equipped with a 5-litre, V-12 powerplant. Improving upon the outgoing BB-branded model’s motor, Ferrari themselves acknowledge the 512 BB’s engine was successful for “giving the same power at lower revs, better torque and a smoother delivery.” The engine was fed by four triple-barrel Weber carburettors, which mixed fuel and air at a prodigious rate, but sadly contributed to Ferrari’s decision to not sell this model in the United States, due to its stringent emissions laws. Now rightly regarded as a classic, this example still sports its matching-numbers engine and transmission and is fully legal for import to the USA. Ferrari connoisseurs will certainly be interested to see if this French-delivery example stays in Europe, as this fine example and all the other Ferrari sports cars in The Guikas Collection cross the auction block on 19 November 2021. Ferraristi of all nationalities, naturally, are united under the same flag.