Together for the final time: a trio of Serenissimas

Unknown to many, Scuderia Serenissima began in 1961 as a Formula 1 racing team, founded by wealthy Italian motor sport enthusiast Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata. Following mixed Grand Prix fortunes in 1961 and ‘62, Volpi had a handful of road going race cars produced, including the Retromobile trio, with the Fantuzzi Spyder that competed in the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours race, driven by Jean-Claude Sauer and Jean de Mortemart, the V8 withdrawing four hours into the race.

The three cars in Artcurial’s auction catalogue included a 1966 targa-topped racer, the Serenissima Spyder, a 1967 Serenissima Agena and a 1968 Ghia GT, the latter two both exotic, mid-engined, two-seat coupes, designed by the prolific and talented American stylist Tom Tjaarda while working at Ghia.

Did they sell? You bet they did. In reverse order, the Agena sold for €441,040, the Ghia GT for €452,960, and the Spyder for a mighty €4,218,800. That’s an awful lot of money for any car, but when you consider the history behind this car (it is one of just two Spyders built and the only one that survives today, and it competed at the 1966 24 Hours of Le mans) it isn’t exactly a risky purchase. It’s gorgeous, too.

All three of these very rare cars come directly from Count Volpi’s personal car collection and were joined by a wire body buck frame to potentially create the coachwork of another Serenissima Spyder. What a unique collection.