Ultra Rare 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider to Be Auctioned at Monterey Car Week

Cars, Features I By Guest Contributor I July 22, 2024

Widely considered one of the most beautiful body designs ever created, this impressive 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider will be offered on Saturday night at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction.

One of only two with the larger 2.5-liter engine, and a true icon of the California racing scene with a famous original livery.
Originally owned and driven in competition by the highly influential Ferrari distributor and racing impresario John von Neumann.
Achieved 21 top-three finishes, including 10 overall or class victories among over 40 period races.
Documented with period photos; copies of letters; and excerpts from Cavallino magazine, including a feature article by respected motoring author Michael Lynch.
To view all photos, click here.

Monterey, CA (22 July 2024) – 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 highlight of the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction.

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 at the time. He began his career with International Motors and became a key 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-liter 625 engine for 0680 ignited huge 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, is currently fitted with a roaring 3-liter Colombo short-block V-12 engine, accompanied by its original matching-numbers 625-specification engine, and 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 car, could transform 0680 into an absolute star at the most prestigious concours events on the planet (Estimate: $9,000,000 – $11,000,000).