RM Sotheby’s Tegernsee Auction prepares to make history with a Scaglietti-bodied icon of motorsport and design.
Some Ferraris are fast. Some are beautiful. A rare few are transformational. The 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC by Scaglietti is one of them.
As the headline lot for RM Sotheby's Tegernsee Auction (TR25), this car isn't just a collector's dream — it's a museum-grade machine with competition blood, design purity, and a pedigree that whispers of Le Mans, Mille Miglia, and Maranello's golden age. Chassis 0706 MDTR, to be exact, is one of just 19 ever built — and the last Ferrari eligible to race under the FIA's two-litre mandate.
Now, for the first time in decades, it's being offered to the market.
Ferrari's Last True Customer Racer
The 500 TRC (Testa Rossa C, for “Customer”) marked the final evolution of Ferrari's four-cylinder sports racers. It was built to meet the strict FIA Appendix C regulations of the time — lower profile, better visibility, a full-width windshield — yet lost none of Ferrari's competitive edge.
Under the sculpted aluminum skin, Scaglietti's design language is unmistakable: long, clean lines, elegant but purposeful, with proportions that feel closer to sculpture than sheet metal. At its heart, a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine derived from Ferrari's Formula 2 efforts, delivering over 180 horsepower to a car that weighed just 680 kilograms. Fast then — still stunning today.
Chassis 0706 MDTR was delivered new in 1957 to American privateer Pete Lovely and campaigned actively on the West Coast racing circuit, including Pebble Beach and Laguna Seca. Later restored and carefully preserved, it stands today as one of the most original examples in private hands.
A Market Moment
In recent years, blue-chip collector cars have seen shifts — not downshifts, but refinements. Provenance, originality, and design purity now outweigh hype. The 500 TRC ticks all boxes: rarity, beauty, mechanical integrity, and historical relevance.
With a pre-sale estimate of €7,000,000 to €9,000,000, the market clearly agrees. This is not just a car — it's a cornerstone. A centerpiece for the kind of collection where nothing is casual, and everything tells a story.
More than ever, cars like this one are viewed as cultural investments. They represent what happens when engineering ambition and aesthetic restraint collide — and when time refines the story, not erases it.
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Conclusion
The sale of the 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC at TR25 in Tegernsee won't just mark the exchange of ownership — it will mark the passing of a torch. A celebration of motorsport's most poetic era, and a rare opportunity to own one of its purest expressions.
If you've ever wondered what it means to keep a piece of Ferrari history in your garage — not just the logo, but the legacy — this is it.
???? Auction Date: July 27, 2025
???? View the full listing: RM Sotheby's Lot R0001 – Ferrari 500 TRC
https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/tr25/lots/r0001-1957-ferrari-500-trc/?utm_source=sothebys&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=calendar&utm_term=TR25
