Ticket to ride? John Lennon’s Ferrari 330GT going up for auction

Are you in the market for a vintage Italian sports car? How about a super-rare 1965 Ferrari 330GT 2+2 once owned by Beatles singer and songwriter John Lennon? Well you’re in luck because Bonhams auction house will present Lennon’s former vehicle at its Goodwood Festival of Speed auction in Chichester, England on July 12.

Perhaps the most rare of any Lennon-owned car, this blue Ferrari was the first vehicle the legendary singer purchased after passing his driving test at the age of 25 in 1965.

News of Lennon passing his driving test made headlines throughout the United Kingdom, which led various luxury car dealers to line up outside of the singer’s home in unison trying to sell the Beatle a car. That’s right, the singer didn’t even have to leave his house to purchase his first car. Lennon ultimately chose a blue Ferrari 330GT, forgoing other high-end vehicles including Maseratis, Aston Martins and Jaguars.

Lennon’s vehicle is expected to fetch up to £220,000, or roughly $343,000. The “Imagine” singer originally paid £6,500, which equates to £110,000 or about $171,000 when adjusted for inflation. Lennon drove the Ferrari for three years, accruing more than 20,000 miles. It’s one of just 500 of the model to be built.

In 2011, Bonhams had planned to sell Lennon’s Ferrari at an auction in Paris, but the seller backed out at the last moment. It was the same year Bonhams offered a 1967 Lamborghini once owned by fellow Beatle Paul McCartney.

Not the only Lennon-related item up for grabs, Bonhams is also set to auction off a John Lennon 18K solid white gold skeleton limited edition fountain pen in June. The Montblanc pen, which features the word “Imagine” is expected to bring in between $35,000 and $50,000.

Despite passing his driving test in 1965, Lennon was a notoriously poor driver. In 1969, the singer crashed his white British Leyland Austin Maxi car while vacationing in Scotland with Yoko Ono, her daughter Kyoko and his son Julian. The four were taken to the hospital where Lennon received 17 facial stitches, Ono 14, and Kyoko four. Julian did not sustain any cuts or bruises.

Click here for more information about the Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale: Collector’s Motor Cars and Automobilia.