When you own one of the collections from Ferrari Given that these are among the most impressive cars in the world, it’s hard to imagine that a car from Maranello could be deliberately left out. Yet that is exactly what David Lee did. The famous collector, whose garage is now valued at over $200 million, turned down two of the most exclusive Ferraris of recent years: the Monza SP1 and Monza SP2. And contrary to what one might think, this choice has nothing to do with their price.
A Ferrari garage that makes your head spin
David Lee doesn't just collect Ferraris: he owns some of the most significant models in the brand's history. 288 GTO, F40, F50, Enzo, LaFerrari Aperta… the great generations of Maranello supercars are all lined up side by side in his garage.
His latest acquisition has taken on a whole new dimension: a Ferrari 250 GTO An extremely rare item purchased for $35 million at auction, or approximately $38.5 million including fees. This single transaction pushed the reported value of his collection past $200 million.
Suffice it to say that when Ferrari unveils an exceptional model to one of its best customers, the price isn't necessarily the first hurdle.
Why did he turn down the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2?
That is precisely what makes his choice regarding the Monza models so surprising. The SP1 and SP2 mark the debut of the Icona family, a lineup designed to offer a contemporary reinterpretation of certain historic chapters in Ferrari’s history.
The SP1 is a spectacular single-seater with a front-mounted V12 engine, while the SP2 follows the same design philosophy but is a two-seater. Their distinctive feature is immediately apparent: they lack a true windshield.
David Lee explains that he deliberately chose not to buy them. The reason? He didn't like the idea of having to wear a helmet and also had reservations about the safety of this type of car.
The Daytona SP3 finally made him change his mind
This refusal could have closed the door on his future with the Icona family. But Ferrari set aside a special option for the Daytona SP3: of the 499 units mentioned in the video, about 100 could be allocated to customers who had not purchased an SP1 or SP2. David Lee was among those lucky few. And this time, he didn’t hesitate.
His Daytona SP3 is particularly spectacular with its exposed carbon fiber body and green carbon fiber accents. According to Lee, only about 30 units were reportedly offered in this exposed carbon fiber configuration.
He reportedly paid nearly $3 million for his SP3 configured this way. Shortly after it was delivered, someone even reportedly offered him $8 million to buy it from him. He turned down the offer—and he was right to, considering The Ferrari Daytona SP3 sold for $17.8 million a few weeks ago. Despite the astronomical sums involved and the spectacular increase in value of some of his Ferraris, David Lee insists on one thing: he buys, first and foremost, the cars he loves and actually wants to drive.
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