There are a handful of cars in this world that are so exciting that they can quicken the pulse of a corpse; cars so rare and so special that the rich and powerful will do battle to possess them. Regardless of your taste, most car enthusiasts the world over know the one car that is held to be the world’s most valuable. While prestige certainly plays a role in this, there are legitimate reasons why the Ferraris of the 1950’s and 60’s are, and always will be, the most prized artifacts ever to roll on 4 wheels.
I’ll never own a real one, but I’ve been looking for years for an HO scale replica of the world’s most valuable car, and there was one in particular that got away; it was made in such limited numbers and was so coveted the moment it appeared on the market that by the time I became aware it existed, the run was sold out, and only by attempting a buy in to insane bidding wars-which got crazier by the month-could I hope to acquire one. Well, sometimes, you get lucky. I have at long last put my hands on the black and yellow copy of the Road Race Replicas 250GTO. Was it worth the wait? Every second of it!
It’s hard for me to imagine any slot-heads arguing with my contention that this is the best HO scale slot car body ever made. There are some great creations out there in HO by many different makers, but nothing I’ve seen compares to this. The detail on this model is just uncanny, and presented in this stunning color combination, its nothing short of breathtaking.
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t cheap. Owning a vintage Ferrari never is. This is the 4th of these bodies I have acquired, it is the best, and I fitted it with the best chassis I could put my hands on, a brand new light brown Ultra G that’s scary fast, and finished it off the only way it could be, with RRR’s own wire wheels and full-sized silicone tires. Trimming the gear plate rails and placing one small shim at the rear provided clearance to prevent any material being removed from the body anywhere, and it is guided by a deep OS3 pin up front for maximum grip and performance. As for the racing number: #28 was the last remaining digit in the 20’s that I hadn’t used, which makes me wonder: had I kept these handsome UltraCal roundels in yellow with a heavy serif typeface subconsciously, hoping someday to use them on this very car? Maybe.
As for The Lore: good grief, how do I do this justice? This black beauty is named “NOCTURNE,” and its “custodian,” (for no piece of history like this can ever truly be “owned”) is globetrotting venture capitalist Hannibal “CHECKMATE” Chapman. Born to an ancient English family, a generational member of the Landed Gentry-for who else could afford such a car?-Chapman is a renown collector of vintage Ferraris and other blue-chip historical cars. He got his nickname by being unbeatable in business; will he be equally unbeatable at Drag City?
I can only imagine the speed and cornering ability this car will have on the track. There is, however, one significant problem: like the real car it’s modeled on, this one just may be too valuable, too precious, to actually race. Truth is, I probably won’t. For now, this one sits, jewel-like in a jewel case, beside another of Road Race Replica’s great creations, an orange and white copy of the ’65 Mustang Fastback, as a testament to what is possible when people choose to go the extra mile. It may only be a toy, but I feel a lucky man indeed to have The Black Ferrari in my collection at last!
Congratulations on this long awaited acquisition! There is no argument that this is absolutely stunning! As the work of art it obviously is, I can understand how you would want to cherish and and protect this beauty.