A £20m classic Ferrari in world’s most expensive car crash

London - A US businessman was involved in the world’s most expensive car crash when a 20 million-pound worth Ferrari 250 GTO he was driving collided with another vehicle, in central France.

Christopher Cox was travelling with his wife Ann, who is said to have suffered a broken leg in the accident.

The multi-millionaire had been taking part in the 50th anniversary tour of the Ferrari 250 GTO - an Italian sports car regarded as the Picasso of the motoring world, the Daily Mail reported.

It is thought the Ferrari, which is one of only 39 ever built, is worth upwards of 20 million pounds.

The incident took place outside Saint-Etienne-des Guirets, near Blois.

As part of the five-day tour, the enthusiasts drove the iconic Gueux racing circuit in Reims before visiting the Abbey of Hautvillers, the home of Dom Perignon champagne.

The Italian convoy, thought to have had a value close to 500 million pounds, was en route to Le Mans when the accident happened on Friday morning.

Two passengers in the other car were taken to nearby hospital, according to French reports.

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and JCB boss Sir Anthony Bamford were two of 21 groups of multi-millionaire Ferrari fans taking part in the 50th anniversary jaunt.

Ferrari built the 250 GTO between 1962 and 1964 with the 174mph sports car sold with a 6,000-pound price-tag.

The model involved in Friday’s crash left the factory in April 1962 with the chassis number 3445GT.

Initially red, the car was resprayed blue with a yellow central stripe in 1963 to match the colours of Sweden after race driver Ulf Norinder’s nationality.

The car was later rebodied, but in 1976 was crashed and underwent a full restoration before Cox bought the vehicle in 2005.

While always expensive, the value of the 250 GTO has skyrocketed in recent years with one green model built for Stirling Moss selling last month for a world record 22.7 million pounds.

The 250 GTO uses a 3-litre V12 engine developing 300bhp which results in a 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 174mph.