Mike Tyson’s former Ferrari F50 will cross the auction block on August 15 during Monterey Car Week, carrying a $7 million to $9 million estimate. RM Sotheby’s will offer the car without reserve, meaning it will sell regardless of the final bid. A result near the top of the estimate would place it among the most expensive F50s ever auctioned, although it would remain slightly below the model’s current $9.245 million record.
Mike Tyson’s Ferrari F50 could sell for $9 million at Monterey
Ferrari produced only 349 numbered F50s, including 55 built for the United States. Production of this Rosso Corsa example began in November 1995, and Ferrari completed it in February 1996 before delivering it through Ferrari of North America to Beverly Hills Sports Car. Dealer Nader Amirvand then sold it to heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, its first private owner.
Tyson kept the Ferrari for less than a year before selling it back to Amirvand. The odometer now shows just 6,196 miles, an exceptionally low figure for a 30-year-old supercar. Tyson has previously spoken about crashing the Ferrari because he did not know how to operate it properly, but RM Sotheby’s official history does not identify chassis 104220 as the car involved.
The documentation adds considerably to its collector appeal. Ferrari Classiche certified the car in 2008, confirming that it retains its original matching-numbers chassis, 4.7-liter V12, six-speed manual transaxle and bodywork. The sale also includes its factory hardtop, books, tools, fitted luggage and a pair of Everlast boxing gloves signed by Tyson.
The F50 forms part of Ferrari’s unofficial “Big Six” halo-car lineage, joining the 288 GTO, F40, Enzo, LaFerrari and F80. These models represent successive generations of Ferrari’s most exclusive road cars and continue to attract rising prices because of their limited production, advanced engineering and international demand.
This particular car’s auction history clearly illustrates that growth. RM Sotheby’s sold it for $2.64 million at Amelia Island in 2017. Five years later, it returned at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction and achieved $4.625 million.
The current $9 million high estimate represents an increase of roughly 241% over its 2017 sale price. Even the $7 million low estimate would reflect a potential gain of more than 165%. Those percentages, however, compare an actual past transaction with a pre-auction valuation. Only the August 15 sale will reveal how much buyers will pay for the Tyson provenance, low mileage and original components.
Celebrity ownership gives this F50 a history that an otherwise comparable example cannot replicate. Ferrari Classiche certification reduces concerns about authenticity, while the signed gloves create an additional physical connection to its famous first owner. Monterey will determine whether those qualities can push the car close to the upper end of RM Sotheby’s estimate.