The latest auction we have our eyes on isn’t at Sotheby’s or Christie’s or even eBay—we’re looking to Tokyo ’s tax agency for some enticing lots. The Japanese capital’s tax office is selling a Ferrari , a rare bottle of Suntory whisky , and an entire golf course, among other lots, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The items have largely been seized from those who have failed to pay their taxes, giving the public the chance to get their hands on luxury offerings that don’t frequently come up for sale.
The Ferrari, for example, is a two-seater 488 Pista Spider, a V8-powered vehicle that can produce more than 700 horses, according to Bloomberg. The Tokyo agency has estimated the car at 56.8 million yen, or $390,000.
Current versions of the vehicle are listed on Ferrari’s website for up to $825,000, though. The tax office wouldn’t share with Bloomberg the identity of the current owner, and Ferrari Japan wouldn’t comment on pricing. But if the Ferrari sells for more than the amount of money in arrears, the owner will receive the difference.
Elsewhere, a bottle of Suntory’s cult-favorite Hibiki 30 could be picked up by a bidder. Some bottles of the liquid are listed online for $6,000 or more. And a golf course is being offered with a starting bid of 141 million yen, or $973,000.
In the past, the Tokyo tax agency has also auctioned off some impressive jewels: In 2012, a 7.5-carat diamond hammered down for 76 million yen, or $524,000 in today’s dollars, Bloomberg noted. The most expensive non-real-estate item ever sold by the office, meanwhile, is a 12.
1-carat diamond that fetched 93 million yen, or $641,700 in today’s dollars. The auctioning-off of seized items by government agencies isn’t uncommon: In late 2022, the French government sold more than $1 million in recovered goods, including Louis Vuitton luggage, Birkin bags, and Rolex watches. Similarly, an iced-out Patek Philippe Nautilus was seized by police in the United Kingdom; it’s now coming to auction with no reserve.
While that sale won’t take place until later this month, similar styles have sold for up to $885,000 on the secondary market. The Tokyo tax agency’s latest auction could be quite lucrative for the Japanese government, and for the tax evaders who potentially stand to earn some extra cash from the selling of their seized goods. It’s possible that the Ferrari’s owner, however, may have preferred to keep his sick ride.
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