Three million dollars. That's how much this particular Ferrari is projected to fetch at auction when it crosses the block in London later this month. And that's on the low side of the $2.8-3.8m estimate range. The car in question is a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France Berlinetta, one of just 36 of its kind ever made. With alloy coachwork designed by Pininfarina and crafted by Scaglietti, chassis number 0557GT has a rich two-tone livery and an even richer racing history.

Designed as a dual-purpose race and road car back in the day when such homologation was possible, the 250 GT long-wheelbase berlinetta laid the groundwork for the more nimble 250 GT SWB and the legendary 250 GTO that followed and went on to further dominate European sportscar racing. Featuring an early version of Ferrari's prolific Colombo-designed 3-liter V12, this example was built to Tipo 128D competition standards with higher compression, Borgo pistons and Weber carbs to produce 247 metric horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Which may not seem like all that much today, but was absolutely enormous in its day.

The model got its name from its repeated victories at the Tour de France, a grueling event consisting of six circuit races, two hill-climb events and a drag race. This particular 250 LWB won the event in its first year, setting the stage for subsequent examples that would win it the next three years running. 0557GT went on to score numerous first-place and podium finishes in races across Europe, giving it a substantial racing pedigree sought after by so many collectors.