Of the many groups of vintage racers participating in the 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, the 1955-1962 GT Class will likely offer most expensive battle of the weekend. How expensive, you ask? The Maserati Tipo 61, also known as the Birdcage, was last valued, in 2013 at nearly $5 million, while the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa sold in 2014 for $39.8 million. Yeah, these cars cost quite a bit. Here are our favorites from the class.
1. 1958 Lister Knobbly
One sold in 2013 for $1.98 million, the Lister Knobbly features a 3.75-liter Jaguar-tuned engine that’s won a handful of races, including the SCCA National Championship.
2. 1960 Maserati Tipo 61
What more can you say but, wow is this car beautiful. And expensive. Expensively beautiful. We’ll take three.
3. 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa
We doubt Bill Gates would even want to pony up the nearly $40 million for the chance to be behind the wheel of the Ferrari here, let alone put it out on track with other people who may damage the picture perfect chassis.
4. 1958 Scarab Chevrolet Mark I
Powered by a Halibrand V-8 coupled to a quick-change rear differential, the Scarab Chevrolet Mark I was the brainchild of racer Lance Reventlow. The car quickly dominated the field and in the first year, won the Riverside International Grand Prix in California beating other more established race teams and even Phil Hill. Carroll Shelby even drove a Scarab to first place at the Continental Divide Raceway in Colorado where he broke the course record.
5. 1960 Chaparral Mark I
The true genesis of Chaparral, the Mark I was used by Jim Hall and Hap Sharp as something like a proof of concept, which later saw the pair buy the naming rights and begin the long motorsport pedigree that would see multiple endurance, Can-AM, and IndyCar championships.
Visit the official 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion site for the full list of entries and be sure to watch our race day live stream on Saturday, 8/19 and Sunday, 8/20.
The post Top Five Cars Racing in the 1955-1962 GT Class at the 2017 Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion appeared first on Automobile Magazine.