The legacy was left to the RNLI by the late Northamptonshire businessman Richard Colton, who requested that money raised from the sale of these two collectors’ cars be used to build a new lifeboat called Richard and Caroline Colton.

The proceeds of the sale of these two classic Ferraris will be donated to the RNLI

H&H Classics, one of Britain’s oldest classic car auction houses, will hold an auction for the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB and 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 on 14 October 2015 at the Imperial War Museum in Cambridge. The 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB was one of only 167 built and the second steel, right-hand-drive car delivered. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 is thought to be the ultimate front-engined, Enzo-era Ferrari road car.

“We are deeply grateful and humbled by Mr Colton’s generous gift and his decision to benefit the RNLI in this way,” said Guy Rose, Legacy Manager at the RNLI. “Six out of every 10 lifeboat launches are only made possible because of gifts left to us in wills, so they are vital to saving lives at sea.”

Keeping a modern fleet of lifeboats active from 236 lifeboat stations, plus crew training and running a lifeguard service on more than 200 beaches is an expensive business. It costs around £385,000 a day to run the RNLI, all of which is donated by the public.

Richard and Caroline Colton and their Ferrari 250 GT SWB

Colton was a Northamptonshire-based businessman was known to be somewhat nervous of the sea, hence his respect for the volunteer crews who risk their lives around Britain’s coast.

My apologies for the rather loose connection to sailing – although I regrettably won’t be bidding, I just had to share these stunning pictures of classic Ferraris… enjoy!

The cars:

1960 Ferrari 250 GT short-wheelbase (SWB) Berlinetta chassis 1995 GT, of which just 167 were made with a mere ten being supplied new to the UK market.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB chassis 1995 GT

Considered to be one of the most beautiful cars in the world and one of the most valuable. In its day, the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta was the fastest, most accomplished 3.0-litre GT racing car that money could buy – and was campaigned by Sir Stirling Moss.

Cabin of 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB chassis 1995 GT

Mr Colton bought this car, registered ‘574 NOT’, in the late-1970s, and covered 60,000 miles in it around Europe, including the Ferrari 50th Anniversary celebrations at Maranello in June 1997.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 chassis 10177 GT

This is the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 chassis 10177 GT.

Just 350 of these 300bhp / 160mph Berlinettas were made, of which 27 were supplied new to the UK market. Steve McQueen was one of the first time owners of this model.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 chassis 10177 GT