A Ferrari At $5,000 (about 4,300 euros), this offer seems almost too good to be true. However, at the upcoming 2026 Monterey auction, bidders will have the chance to take home a particularly attractive replica of one of the most iconic single-seaters in Scuderia history. Just one small detail: this Ferrari 500 F2 is designed for children… and, for now, it doesn’t have an engine.
The car will be offered without a reserve price on August 14, 2026, at The Monterey Auction. Its estimated value, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, is obviously a far cry from the amounts required to purchase a genuine historic Ferrari race car. And despite its small size, it is not just a simple plastic toy.
A particularly well-crafted miniature Ferrari
This little 500 F2 was designed as a display car paying tribute to the single-seater with which Alberto Ascari dominated the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Its construction is surprisingly robust: beneath the removable bodywork lies a genuine tubular chassis.
It’s the details, above all, that give the whole car its charm. It features spoked wheels with faux drum brakes visible behind them, as well as the side exhaust pipe characteristic of the original car. The cockpit, meanwhile, is equipped with a wooden-rimmed steering wheel and a cork-covered dashboard featuring several vintage-style gauges.
In fact, the miniature doesn’t just create the illusion of a car. It has a working steering system as well as double-wishbone suspensions in the front and rear. However, don’t bother looking for the Ferrari four-cylinder engine under the bodywork: it currently has neither an engine nor a pedal assembly.
Its new owner can therefore keep it as a decorative item or take it much further. The auction house itself suggests that it could serve as an excellent base for building a real children's car by fitting it with an electric or internal combustion engine.
The little sister of a Ferrari that made history
The choice of the 500 F2 was obviously no accident. Designed under the direction of engineer Aurelio Lampredi, the true Ferrari 500 made its debut in 1951. When the World Championship adopted the Formula 2 regulations for 1952 and 1953, the Scuderia found itself with a formidable weapon. Its naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine produced about 185 ch for a single-seater weighing just 560 kg. Combined with a tubular chassis, a four-speed transmission, and a design prioritizing lightness and weight distribution, this engine allowed Ferrari to crush the competition.
Alberto Ascari became its most famous ambassador. Behind the wheel of the 500, the Italian won two consecutive world titles in 1952 and 1953. The single-seater would go on to rack up 14 World Championship victories and help cement Ferrari’s position at the pinnacle of the sport.
Starting at $5,000
It certainly comes from a prestigious lineage, even though the example being offered in Monterey obviously has no historical significance. It is, first and foremost, a reproduction—however beautifully crafted it may be. The estimate ranges from $5,000 to $10,000, and it’s being sold without a reserve price. Theoretically, this little Ferrari could therefore change hands for around $5,000. At that price, it would probably be one of the few Ferraris you could reasonably give to your child… provided, of course, that they agree to share it with their parents.
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