03/05/2026
His Father Sold This Ferrari for $4,800. Decades Later, the Son Bought It Back
For Bob Boniface, a designer at General Motors’ Buick division, a classic Ferrari 250 GTE is more than just a rare sports car; it is a piece of his family’s history that disappeared for decades before unexpectedly returning.
Bob’s father, Raymond Boniface, was a physician with a passion for Italian sports cars. During Bob’s childhood, his father owned several Ferraris. In 1973, he bought a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE for only $3,800 and used it as his everyday car, something that might sound surprising today, but at the time, these cars were not considered extremely valuable.
From the car’s registration documents, the family discovered something remarkable: its original owner had been the famous British comedian and actor Peter Sellers. The car had even been delivered to Sellers while he was working on the set of the 1963 film The Wrong Arm of the Law, and it briefly appeared in the movie. At that time, the Ferrari was painted white.
The 250 GTE also held an important place in Ferrari history. It was the first Ferrari model produced in larger numbers with four seats, marking a shift for the company founded by Enzo Ferrari. Until then, Ferrari had mainly sold small numbers of road cars to wealthy customers to finance its racing program, which by the 1960s had become one of the most successful in the world.
Raymond Boniface owned the car for two years before selling it in 1975 for $4,800, making a quick $1,000 profit. At the time, he was delighted with the deal and thought little more about the car afterward.
More than four decades later, the story took an unexpected turn. About four years ago, Raymond found the Ferrari’s original owner’s manual in his library. Inside was the old registration card, complete with Peter Sellers’s signature. Realizing it might be historically important, he called Bob and suggested he try to locate the car so the manual could be returned to its current owner.
Bob spent three years searching for the Ferrari. Finally, he posted a message on a Ferrari enthusiasts’ website. Soon after, he received a surprising reply: the person who wrote back had actually bought the car from Bob’s father more than 40 years earlier and still owned it. He had restored the Ferrari and was considering selling it.
Even more remarkable, the owner remembered meeting Bob when he was just a boy.
They eventually reached an agreement. The Ferrari was expensive, but the owner wanted the car to go to someone who truly understood its history, so he sold it to Bob for less than its full market value.
In April 2017, the Ferrari arrived at Bob’s home. Soon after, his father, then 93 years old, came over to see it again. Bob told him that the last time they had ridden in that car together, his father had been the one driving. This time, it was Bob’s turn.
The two went for a drive together, reliving memories from decades earlier. For both father and son, it was an emotional moment, proof that sometimes a car can find its way back to the family it once belonged to.
