It would appear that 21st-century Ferraris are on the precipice of a hike in price and collectability. A pristine, low-mileage Ferrari Enzo just sold for $17.9 million, including buyer’s fees, at Mecum Auctions’ recently Kissimmee, Florida, event. Hammering for $16.25 million, this example of the millennial generation’s poster car is easily the most expensive Enzo ever sold at auction, besting the model’s previous record-setting sale of $4.51 million by a factor of nearly four, according to data collected by classic automobile insurer Hagerty. As Road & Track points out, the moment “might completely reshape the world of modern collector cars in the process.”
The Enzo has always been a crown jewel-worthy collector car. Only 400 examples of the Italian marque’s aughts-era flagship eponymously honoring the brand’s founder were produced. Much has been said about the Enzo’s V12-powered lineage, which was preceded by the equally sought-after F50, 250 GTO and 250 Testa Rossa. But it’s also important to understand that the Enzo was devised during a particularly historic period for Ferrari. The Italian automaker’s fabled F1 team had just won the 1999, 2000, and 2001 Manufacturers’ Championships and the 2000 and 2001 Drivers’ Championships. Ferrari’s No. 1 driver, Michael Schumacher, was at the height of his dominance during the Enzo’s development, and F1 tech accordingly influenced the iconic supercar.
Pininfarina designer Ken Okuyama created an external shape that mimicked that of an open-wheel race car wrapped in a skin covering the fenders and cockpit. The carbon fiber and Kevlar body panels were finalized in a wind tunnel to ensure an aerodynamic profile that approaches perfection. Other weight-saving measures included the implementation of a carbon fiber and Nomex honeycomb chassis tub that tips the scales at just 200 pounds, as well as aluminum sub-frames.
With the help of racy components such as Nikasil-lined cylinder walls, titanium connecting rods, and a torque-boosting telescoping intake manifold, the Enzo’s 6.0-liter V12 originally sent 651 horsepower through an F1-derived six-speed automated manual transmission. The resulting zero-to-60 mph time was clocked at 3.3 seconds on the way to a 218-mph top speed.
The record-setting Enzo, chassis number 135262, is among the best examples extant. It’s one of only 36 to be finished in striking Giallo Modena, of which 11 came to the United States. The odometer shows just 649 miles, which helps explain its almost factory-new condition.
When Hagerty adjusts its Enzo stats page following this most recent Mecum sale, it will significantly drive up the Enzo’s values beyond their current range, which starts at $2.95 million for a car in “Fair” condition and tops out at $4.9 million for a Concours-worthy vehicle. And depending on whom you ask, the sale might just mark the beginning of a new era for collector-grade cars produced after 2000.
“Something is clearly changing in the world of collector cars,” writes R&T. “Whether or not these machines were underappreciated before or if people simply have too much money, prices are shifting. And while this sale might not technically make it the most valuable car built after 2000, I think the Enzo certainly has an argument to make for itself.”
