Ferrari F1 race car for sale at Pebble Beach

Starting Wednesday, we'll be setting foot on the finely groomed greens of the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. This annual pilgrimage is one of the greatest automotive shows you can ever attend, and with all the major auction houses in attendance, you can purchase your own piece of history. Provided you have the cash, of course.

 

This year, Gooding & Co. is auctioning a particularly impressive group of Ferraris. Included in the stable of prancing horses is a rare 1957 250 GT 14-Louver Berlinetta (estimated at $9 million to $11 million), a 2005 FXX Evoluzione ($2.3 million to $2.6 million) and a 1959 400 Superamerica Coupe Speciale ($3.75 million to $4.5 million). But there is one car that sticks out from the rest.

 

That would be the 2002 F2002 racer, specifically chassis 220, piloted by Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello in the 2002 and 2003 Formula One seasons. If you were looking for the right car with the right pedigree, this is it.

 

A little background on the F2002: Designed by Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne and Paolo Martinelli, the F2002 was a significant overhaul of the outgoing F2001, with a focus on lowering the center of gravity to improve handling. A 3.0-liter V10 was given the task of motivating the 600-kilogram (1,323-pound) car around the track, and a progressive aerodynamics package helped it stick in the turns.

 

This made it one of the most successful Formula One endeavors for Ferrari. From the start, the F2002 was a winner. In Schumacher's capable hands, chassis 220 took victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix in its first outing.

 

It wasn't just Schumi's magic touch that took the car to the podium. In Barrichello's first outing with 220 at San Marino, he found himself finishing in second place. Barrichello later won with 220 at the European Grand Prix. Of the 15 races the F2002 (chassis 220 and 221) competed in the 2002 season, Ferrari won 14 of them. To say this car was dominant is an understatement.

 

And now, you have a chance to own this landmark Formula One racer. Gooding & Co. is holding its auction Aug. 17-18, and the F2002 chassis 220 is lot 34. From all we can tell, the car still has all its major components intact, so it may be as easy as calling up Ferrari's Corse Clienti and asking (read: paying) them to get it running on the track. The auction house estimates it may fetch a selling price as high as $2.6 million, so you may want to start digging through your couch cushions for any spare hundreds you may have lost.

[Source: Gooding & Company; Photo: Gooding & Company]

Source: MSN