RM Auctions’ Monterey: 1956 Fiat Series 306/2 Grand Prix Transporter

As lovely as the lithe and petite racing cars we usually feature are, sometimes you just want a historic racing machine with a little junk in its trunk.

This 1956 Fiat Series 306/2 Grand Prix Transporter is not only big and beautiful, but the junk in its trunk has included Maseratis, Scarabs, Carroll Shelby’s Cobra Daytona coupes, Lotuses, GT40s and more across its astonishingly storied motorsport career.

It was commissioned by Maserati to haul Formula One cars and gear around Europe during the ’57 and ’58 seasons, and was the machine that carried the Maserati 250F which Juan Manuel Fangio drove to win the ’57 title. Lance Reventlow clearly enjoyed its presence in the Formula One paddock, and bought it to serve as Scarab’s Grand Prix transporter for ’60 and ’61.

Its glittering career continued in 1962, when Carroll Shelby bought it to haul his Shelby American team of Cobra Daytona coupes around Europe for the Sports Car World Championship. From there it worked for Lotus, David Piper and Alan Mann.

Not content with a career at the pinnacle of motorsport, it got into acting in 1970, starring alongside Steve McQueen in Le Mans as the team transporter for Ferrari, Renault/Mirage, and Porsche.

After decades of hard use it was in need of a little love, and its current owner, described as “a vintage racing driver of considerable success”, embarked on a monumental restoration project to return it to its former glory. Eight thousand man-hours and two years later, restoration complete, it is in immaculate, authentic condition.

It’s heading to auction at RM Auctions’ upcoming Monterey Sale and is expected to fetch between US$850,000 and $1,100,000.

Via RM Auctions

Photos by Neil Fraser, courtesy of RM Auctions