As the old saying goes, there is a butt for every seat… Also, some people have more money then sense… 
I think that should be more $$$$$ and no sense. 
They’ve sold for as much as $5 million. There’s up to $3.125 million to restore it and for profit if sold.
I read that Ferrari will rebuild it if the VIN is still attached, and this one is. Not sure how to go about getting Ferrari to rebuild it, or who exactly pays, but this is deemed as a solid purchase so far.
If Ferrari restores the car, the owner will pay, and pay and pay… Ferrari does not come cheap.
Rough estimates of the restoration cost is $2 million. A $2M restoration leaves room for profit. Since this was car #2 of 13 it will be worth an easy $5M when complete.
These were hand built cars. Sheetmetal hammered over shot bags and rolled through an English wheel. The frame from tubes and flat stock. The proper craftsmen can re-make what was done in the past.
All very true, but if only 13 were built, how many of those parts interchanged with other Ferrari’s or anything else out there, I didn’t read the whole story but, I don’t see anything but a basic shell, no engine, driveline, steering suspension (down to the correct castle nut, if it used them lol), interior etc etc… The sheet metal might be the easiest part to reproduce… Some parts might just be plain impossible to get… unless Ferrari kept ALL the old presses and dies etc…
Ferrari doesn’t use too many bespoke parts. They buy from suppliers. Suppliers that sold those parts to many car makers. Anything missing can be recreated with 3D printing of plastics or metals, 5 axis milling machines or small lot castings from original parts.
The story behind the creation of Lamborghini was Mr. Lamborghini, the tractor maker, owned several Ferraris and kept taking his car back to Ferrari for a burned up clutch. He got tired of paying huge prices for new clutches and had his tractor mechanic replace it. Seems it was the same clutch used in one of his tractors. He paid $1000 for his Ferrari sourced clutch, but $10 for the same clutch he bought for his tractors. When he confronted Enzo Ferrari with that fact, an argument ensued and Lamborghini was born to spite Enzo!
That is what I was wondering… Still going to be hard to make it a numbers matching car, but then again, will that even matter to a Ferrari owner?..
Numbers matching does matter but it is mostly the VIN tag, others… not so much. It has the original trans but not original engine but I’d guess the owner is already searching for one.
If he can’t find one, if he can borrow an original, a new one can be made… LOL, just takes money!
What a fool. I wouldn’t even pay $1.5 thousand for that pile of scrap metal. I have never understood the allure of paying even $100k for a car, and cannot even fathom the idea of paying a million dollars for one. Heck, I cannot even fathom the idea of paying a million dollars for a house.
Which means that there is no need to buy this. Those “proper craftsmen” can build a fairly accurate replica from historical photos and engineering drawings. There is no advantage to buying this pile of scrap metal, other than “provenance”, which isn’t worth a nickel to me.
But you are not the intended customer @bcohen2010!
Did you miss the part where the buyer could net a million dollar profit from the restoration?
I would not call that a deal made by a fool.
I guess that takes the old saying it takes money to make money to a whole new level… 
Well in my world anyway…
So essentially, this is an example of the Greater Fool Theory of investing…overpaying for some investment without regard for the fundamentals, because someone else (aka the Greater Fool) will come along and buy it for even more money. It is precisely this line of thinking which has allowed crypto currency and shares of unprofitable businesses to sell for ever higher prices…until eventually the bottom falls out.
Personally, I would pay thousands more for a 1990’s economy car that runs than I would for this pile of scrap metal, but to each their own.
I’ve read that the buyer is paying for the history and Mile Migala Storica entry, which this Ferrari would be accepted.
Other racing cars have benn built back up from a frame and the id number, the Ferrari race car frame found under a kit car body years ago has been restored and sold and that was just the frame and later the expert found the original engine to go with the rest of the correct mechanicals. Ferrari’s classiche division did the restoration with the help of a local coachbuilder for the body and has given their stamp of approval. It just sold at Bonhams for 3 million with the entire history of the car out in the open.
1952 Ferrari 340 America Berlinetta (sportscardigest.com)
That is like paying thousands of dollars for diamonds to be worn in jewelry. Diamonds can be used to make cutting tools but are useless in jewelry. Does your wife have a diamond ring?
Well, to be fair, I have always thought that jewelry is the biggest waste of money on Earth. And I refuse to spend my money on stuff that I think is a wasteful expenditure. So no, neither I nor my wife own any jewelry.
Different strokes for different folks.
I don’t know why you are so upset by this. Upset enough to insult those who pursue this hobby. This money isn’t coming out of your pocket nor does it affect anything in your life. So why the anger?
We aren’t upset you would rather spend money on Malaise era econoboxes. I doubt anyone would be.
Most people like nicer cars and are willing to spend the money to own them.
Henry Ford nearly destroyed Ford Motor Company because he refused to accept that anyone wanted more car than a Model T. Fortunately for Ford, son Edsel convinced him that buyers were more than willing to buy Chevys, Dodges, Willys, Whippets or other cars that offered more features at a higher price than the Model T. So the Model A was born and it saved the company.