A handsome 50-year-old Ferrari 250 LM racing car which inspired one of the world's best-selling child's toys has been sold at auction by Sotheby's in New York for a record 14.3 million dollars.
Unlike its competition stablemates, this ultra-rare 250 LM known as chassis 6107 was used mainly to cruise around town and the scenic Mulholland Drive highway in southern California.
Only 32 examples of the Ferrari 250 LM were ever built and few people ever got to see the real car, which was first shown at shows in 1963. Many remember a die-cast version in the now defunct Corgi range of model ars. It sold more than 1.6 million times until the early 1970s, making it one of the most popular miniature cars ever made.
The 1/47th-scale Corgi 250 LM was numbered 314 in the range and featured an opening hood to reveal a tiny engine along with detailed spoked hubs.
The most recent owner of the real car auctioned in New York was a Japanese collector who bought it in 1983 and displayed the vehicle for 30 years. The car has been driven only 16 000km since new. -Sapa-dpa