A Ferrari 340 America Barchetta which was used in Le Mans will be sold at auction at RM Sotheby's in Monaco on May the 14th with Sotheby's estimating a purchase cost of £7 million. This 1951 340 featured 4.1 litre V12 engine which produced around 320 bhp meaning a top speed of over 150 mph. Not too bad for the 50s, eh? It was the 58th competition car built by Ferrari and featured in the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hour Race but did not finish when raced by it's owner Pierre Louis-Dreyfus and Louis Chiron. This was because Chiron became so involved in a dual with another Ferrari that was competing with and subsequently ran out of petrol.
A member of Chiron's team ran out to pour some much needed petrol into the tank but this was spotted by the stewards resulting in disqualification. However, in that race the 340 did set the 11th fastest lap. The 1952 Le Mans was no better as the car had to be retired only 5 hours into the race when it was piloted by Louis-Dreyfus once more.
A statement from RM Sotheby's said: "Steeped in motorsport and racing provenance, the one-of-eight, Touring-bodied 340 America retains its original engine and is recognised as one of the first big block V12 racing Ferraris."
Other famous Ferraris that have be sold at auction over the years include the 250 GTO, 250 Testa Rossa and the 250 GT California Spider.