Sold for P528 Million: Ralph Lauren’s Ferrari F50 Makes Waves at Monterey
One car stood out amidst all of the gleaming automobiles at this year’s Monterey Car Week. Ralph Lauren’s old yellow 1995 Ferrari F50, listed as Lot 254, was sold for a staggering $9.25 million (about P528million), becoming one of the weekend’s most celebrated sales.
The Ferrari F50 itself is a rare gem. Built between 1995 and 1997, only 349 units were made. It was conceived as a Formula 1 car for the road, and it carried Ferrari’s racing DNA in every curve. It had a naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V12 derived from the Scuderia’s 3.5-liter F1 engine, a six-speed manual gearbox, and no driver aids—no ABS, no traction control, no power steering. Just raw, analog Ferrari magic.
This particular F50 is rarer still, one of only 55 US-spec cars, and one of just two finished in Giallo Modena with Nero trim. Its chassis number, ZFFTG46A2S0104798, hides a pedigree steeped in racing DNA. Under the hood lies a 4.7?liter F130B V12 linked to Ferrari’s 1992 Formula 1 efforts and the 333 SP prototype. Producing 513 horsepower and 347 lb?ft of torque, it can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and pushes beyond 200 mph. With Brembo brakes and no electronic aids, it’s one of the purest analog supercars ever made.
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Ralph Lauren ordered the F50 new and kept it for about eight years, eventually parting with it in 2003 after putting on just over 3,300 miles. The subsequent owners—a couple deeply embedded in Ferrari culture, including Challenge racing had cherished it for 22 years, bringing the odometer to fewer than 5,400 miles. Its service record is meticulous, with key maintenance like fuel bladders, brakes, and tires addressed, and Ferrari Classiche certification first granted in 2009 and renewed in 2024.
Today, the car comes with its original accessories, its fitted luggage, the removable hardtop in its factory flight case, tool kit, and owner’s manuals, even down to the Ferrari warranty book bearing the American fashion icon’s name. The car has not been publicly shown since 2009, making its reappearance at the Monterey event all the more captivating.
Ralph Lauren himself considers cars more than just machines; he thought of them as an extension of his design philosophy. Just as his fashion empire is built on timeless style, so too was his car collection a curated gallery of mechanical beauty. Lauren’s garage is often described as one of the greatest private collections in the world and houses around 70 automobiles, ranging from pre-war Bugattis and Alfa Romeos to icons like the McLaren F1 and Ferrari 250 GTO.
Lauren’s interest in automobiles reportedly began in the 1970s, when success in fashion gave him the means to indulge his love for sports cars. Over time, collecting became an obsession. Today, his collection is often compared to a rolling art museum, with several of his cars even exhibited at the Louvre in Paris in 2011 under the title L’Art de l’Automobile: Masterpieces of the Ralph Lauren Collection.
Lauren owns multiple Ferraris, including a 250 LM, a 250 Testa Rossa, and the legendary 250 GTO which is considered by many the Holy Grail of collector cars. Among his treasures is a Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, one of just four ever built.
Beyond vintage rarities, he also cherishes modern masterpieces like the McLaren F1 and Porsche 918 Spyder.
For many enthusiasts, the sale of Ralph Lauren’s Ferrari F50 is a reminder of the enduring allure of analog supercars in an age of hybrids and EVs. For collectors, owning a Ferrari F50 is already a true mark of distinction. And to own one that belonged to Ralph Lauren, a man whose taste has shaped decades of fashion, elevates it into the realm of cultural significance.
This headline-grabbing sale was part of a record-setting weekend at Monterey. RM Sotheby’s reported over $165 million in total sales, with Ferrari once again dominating the leaderboards.
The top lot was a Ferrari Daytona SP3, which fetched more than $26 million, underscoring how blue-chip Italian exotics continue to define the collector car market. Against this backdrop, Ralph Lauren’s F50 stood out not just for its rarity, but for the unique cultural cachet it carried.
