Born and bred in endurance racing, it has been nearly 50 years since Scuderia Ferrari competed in the World Endurance Championship series (WEC) — then known as the World Sportscar Championship. After enjoying many years at the top of the leaderboard, Ferrari had struggled in its final years as Ford and Porsche began battling for supremacy. After calling it quits in 1973 to focus solely on Formula 1 racing, Ferrari announced its return to the FIA backed WEC, almost 50 years to the day.
However, for a brief moment in 1993 Ferrari returned to the world of sports car racing in the form of the IMSA GT Championship. Resurrecting the iconic “P” series racing cars, Ferrari called upon race car manufacturer Dallara — and later Michelotto — to build a competitive car for the inaugural season of the World Sport Car category which is a new series that replaced the defunct Grand Touring Prototype series .
After enjoying a decade in the sun, the 333 SP retired in the middle of the 2003 season. Appearing 20 years later, auction house RM Sotheby’s has unveiled the listing of the 333 SP, chassis number 32.
Gorgeous styling, killer instincts
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Debuting in 1999, number 32 marks Ferrari’s midway point with race car manufacturer Michelotto, after its transition away from Dallara. The mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout draws its power from the 4.0L, F130 V12 engine. Doling out over 640 horsepower, and 325 lb-ft of torque, the 333 had a redline of 9,000 RPM — and arguably the greatest exhaust note of any V12.
Although the 333 SP wasn’t competitive at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, three victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and a 1998 victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona proved Ferrari would always be competitive in endurance racing — even after a 20 year absent.
Ready To Race Hard
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Equipped with all the “Evolution” options offered by Micheloto, this 333 SP is Ferrari Classiche certified — Ferrari’s official certifier — and features a complete numbers-matching drivetrain. Sotheby’s also reports this particular prototype is “highly eligible for Ferrari Corse Clienti”, the official client racing series featuring solely Ferrari customers.
Spending the previous ten years under the care of Michellotto itself, this Ferrari is well worth the investment into supercar ownership. Any interested parties must contact to receive the price. However, as the “Beerfest” character Barry Badrinath once said: “if you have to ask, big man, you can’t afford it.”
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