The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering returned for its 22nd year on the manicured lawns of The Quail Lodge & Golf Club, where a 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1 claimed the coveted Best of Show title. Owned by noted collector Art Zafiropoulo, the F50 GT1 triumphed over a curated field of more than 200 entrants, recognised for its ground-breaking design, craftsmanship, and historical significance. The winning Ferrari was inducted into the Rolex Circle of Champions, a revered tradition honouring the pinnacle of automotive excellence. Zafiropoulo was also presented with a specially engraved Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 by Luca Bernasconi, President and Chief Executive of Rolex USA. The event took place on Friday, 15 August 2025, at The Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California, as part of Monterey Car Week.
In 1996, Ferrari had introduced the F50, a Formula 1–inspired successor to the F40 (often considered the greatest sportscar ever). With its screaming naturally aspirated 4.7-liter V12, carbon-fiber tub, and open-air driving experience, it was conceived as the closest thing to a race car for the road, a period-perfect aerodynamics and race hardware worthy of a Formula 1 grid. But Ferrari had bigger ambitions
At the time, endurance racing was entering a golden age, with manufacturers like Porsche and Mercedes developing machines for the GT1 class essentially street legal hypercars engineered with competition in mind. To counter them, Ferrari prepared the F50 GT1, a radical evolution of its already extreme flagship.
Stripped down for racing, the GT1 received aggressive aerodynamics, an even lighter chassis, and updated performance figures. The engine was rumoured to exceed 750 horsepower, 529Nm of torque which was mated to a longitudinal six-speed manual transmission. Ferrari planned to build three cars as homologation models, a stepping stone into endurance racing’s fiercest arena. It could accelerate from 0-100 km.hr in just 29 sec.
Yet, fate intervened. The GT1 project was shelved before it could ever race, leaving just a handful of examples as tantalising “what ifs” in Ferrari history. The F50 GT1 became an elusive unicorn, a car that whispered of Maranello’s unfulfilled racing dominance in GT competition.
Fast forward to 2025, and that mystique is precisely what captivated The Quail’s judges. Among a lineup of extraordinary classics, hypercars, and racing legends, the 1996 Ferrari F50 GT1 stood out not just for its beauty but for its rarity and story.
Finished in striking Rosso Corsa, the car presented at The Quail gleamed under the California sun, its towering rear wing and wide stance projecting an aura of untamed power. Enthusiasts gathered around, many seeing an F50 GT1 in person for the very first time.
For the panel, it wasn’t merely about aesthetics—it was about legacy. The F50 GT1 represented a turning point in motorsport history, a bridge between Ferrari’s 1990s supercars and its enduring pursuit of racing glory. Awarding it Best of Show felt as much like recognition of its unrealised destiny as it was a celebration of its design.
A Victory Of Legacy
While The Quail often honours vehicles with illustrious racing careers or landmark design breakthroughs, the selection of the F50 GT1 underscores something deeper: the acknowledgment of stories untold. The car is a reminder that motorsport is as much about ambition and imagination as it is about trophies.
Ferrari’s gamble on the GT1 program never materialised into competition glory, but the car remains an artefact of daring innovation. Its presence at The Quail was more than nostalgia, it was a celebration of the dream Ferrari once pursued, one that resonates with collectors and enthusiasts who treasure the “what ifs” as much as the victories. The Quail continues to set the bar for automotive excellence, combining tradition, innovation, and exclusivity in one unforgettable event. The next year’s event is set for Friday, August 16, 2026, offering another celebration of the world’s most important vehicles and collectors.
