The Only Factory White Ferrari 250 GTO Is Headed to the Auction Block

If you thought all cool Ferraris were red, think again.

If there is one machine amongst the many prancing horses to leave the stables at Maranello, none comes within centimeters close to the legendary machine known to you and me as the 250 GTO.

Built between 1962 and 1964, just 36 units of this special model were produced as hardcore racing machines to meet the homologation requirements for Group 3 GT racing. After their careers on the racetrack, these cars have gained a reputation as a car with holy grail status among Ferrari owners and the most discerning car collectors, as they have fetched some of the highest transaction prices in both private and auction settings.

However, one special example is being offered for sale by Mecum Auctions in January 2026. A special car: chassis number 3729 GT, nicknamed “Bianco Speciale,” is unlike the other 250 GTOs that graced the world with their presence. As hinted by the English translation of its Italian nickname (meaning “White Special”), the provenance of the 3729 GT begins with the fact that it was the only GTO to be sold new in white; a decision that Mecum says required pulling internal strings at Ferrari.

Per Mecum, the idea of a white 250 GTO was “a huge deviation from Ferrari’s strict color conventions—one that required quiet internal approval.” In the case of the late legendary British race team and dealership owner John Coombs, his connection to Alfredo Reali, “Ferrari’s discreet liaison for bespoke and sensitive client requests,” was a factor in securing the ultra-special request.

However, unlike many of the Ferraris built under the modern-day Atelier and Tailor Made personalization programs, the 250 GTO was designed as a race car for actual competition, which it achieved with some of the era’s most competitive drivers.

Throughout its racing history, the Bianco GTO gained notoriety, piloted by well-known figures in the 1960s motorsport scene. It made its debut at Brands Hatch during the Peco Trophy on August 6, 1962, where Roy Salvadori drove it to a second-place finish. Just two weeks later, Graham Hill used it to finish second at the Goodwood RAC Tourist Trophy, which helped Ferrari secure the 1962 GT Manufacturers’ Championship.

In 1963, Mike MacDowel won the Whitsun Trophy and the British Grand Prix GT race, while Jack Sears achieved the car’s first GT class victory in August. Despite being driven by racing legends, this GTO left its mark without securing a single class win.

Jaguar benchmarked this GTO for its hardcore racing machine

However, another essential key piece of provenance that Mecum notes was that this car was used as a benchmark by one of Ferrari’s motorsport rivals of the period: Jaguar.

Though Coombs himself denies this, Mecum notes that it is “well documented that he did, in fact, lend his Bianco Speciale to the engineers at Jaguar for study,” as he was supposedly “determined to give the lagging brand a chance at matching or exceeding Ferrari’s racing success with its seemingly unbeatable 250 GTO.”

With this car in question, the boffins at Jaguar were supposedly able to reverse-engineer the 250 GTO and use the technical knowledge to build their very own competitor on the racetrack: the Lightweight E-Type.

After Coombs’ time with the GTO, the Bianco Speciale changed hands through four different owners before it landed in the hands of one of its former pilots, Jack Sears, who would keep it for 30 years.

In 1999, it was sold to Jon Shirley, a former Microsoft president and COO, and a notable art and car collector who made his fortune during the tech giant’s formative years. In 2008, it earned its Ferrari Classiche Red Book, an ultimate certificate of authenticity, as it maintained many of its original parts and equipment over the years.

Final Thoughts

Mecum is set to display the Bianco Speciale at its Monterey auction this month during Monterey Car Week before it hits the auction block as the headliner lot at its event in Kissimmee, Florida, in January 2026.

Mecum has not listed a reserve or a price estimate on this car, but granted that the last 250 GTO to go to auction had a hammer price of $51 million in November 2023, it will take a pretty penny to be a part of “the most exclusive car club in all of the world,” per Mecum.

In my purview, this car, in fact, any 250 GTO, would have a special spot in my theoretical “unlimited money” garage. However, granted its special provenance and the fact that it’s the only one to be painted in white, seals its place. I’d buy the ESPN+ subscription just to see this machine hit the block live. I hope we will not see the bid go on.