Ultra-rare 60s Ferrari with enormous 4-litre V12 engine and wood interior goes on sale – and it could be yours for £1.4m
AN ULTRA-rare Ferrari from the 1960s with a wooden interior and enormous V12 engine could be yours for £1.4million.
The powerful and spectacular 1966 Ferrari 330 GTS convertible comes with an enlarged 4L engine.
An open version of the popular 330 GTC coupe, the classic motor is one of just 100 examples ever produced.
The sleek coupe, finished in Rosso Corsa, comes with with Borrani wire wheels and a luxury Nero Franzi leather-trimmed interior.
Inside, there is a wood panel dashboard as well as a wooden steering wheel adorned with the famous prancing horse logo in its centre.
Powering the motor is a 4.0L V-12 engine that produces an estimated 300bhp at 7,000rpm.
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The Ferrari can go from 0-60mph in just 6.0 seconds and can reach a top speed of up to 150mph.
The classic motor's listing reads: "The 330 GTC is nicely equipped with a factory hardtop, Borrani wire wheels, and standard US-market instrumentation.
“This model has undergone a thorough mechanical restoration which was completed by July 1995.
“During this restoration, the car’s cosmetics were addressed as required, and 9369’s interior was also updated with a factory-style air-conditioning system on account of its new residency in California."
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The incredible vehicle has also been Red Book-certified by Ferrari Classiche as it retains its numbers-matching V12 engine, body, and gearbox/differential.
The listing continues: "With excellent ride comfort and formidable power and handling ability, Ferrari could justifiably claim the 330 GTS to be the world's finest convertible two-seater in its day.
“Now offered from 17 years of cherished ownership, this magnificent example is a superb addition to the most serious Ferrari collections.”
The classic car was delivered new to Luigi Chinetti Motors in January 1967 before amassing 20,000 miles by 1975.
It then changed hands between 1976 and 1989 but remained on the US East Coast between owners in New York and Maryland.
Cosmetically refinished during the early 1980s, the car subsequently entered the personal collection of noted California-based dealer Fletcher Jones.
Following further refurbishments, the motor eventually made its way to Sotheby's, offered for the first time in August 2000 with just 40,850 miles on its clock.
Now, the car, which has less than 50,000 original miles, is set to go on auction at RM in Miami, United States, during its late February sale.
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Described as "the ultimate luxury on America's East Coast", the two-day auction from 27-28 February will feature a range of "ultimate blue-chip collectibles".
The ultra-rare Ferrari is expected to attract between $1.6-1.8million, the equivalent of £1.29-£1.45million.
History of Ferrari
The story of Ferrari began with its founder Enzo Ferrari, a former salesman and racing driver for Alfa Romeo who founded the racing team Scuderia Ferrari there in 1929.
Scuderia had originally intended to service gentleman drivers and other amateur racers, although Alfa Romeo's withdrawal from racing in 1933 and Enzo's connections within the company launched Scuderia Ferrari into its unofficial representative on the track.
Alfa Romeo supplied racing cars to Ferrari, who eventually amassed some of the best drivers in the 1930s and won countless races before the team was liquidated in 1937.
After it was liquidated and absorbed into Alfa Romeo, Enzo left the company in 1939, following disagreements with the company's upper management.
Using his settlement, he founded his own company to produce cars and called it "Auto Avio Construzioni", and put its headquarters in the facilities of the former Scuderia Ferrari.
It could not use the Ferrari name for another four years due to a noncompete agreement with Alfa Romeo.
The company produced a single car, the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, which participated in only one race before the outbreak of World War II, during which Enzo's company produced aircraft engines and machine tools for the Italian military.
In 1943, under threat of Allied bombing raids, the company's factory was moved to Maranello, where Ferrari remains to this day.
In 1945, Ferrari adopted its current name and built a new V12 engine to power its 125 S, the marque's first car.
Success in motorsport, including early victories at the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1951 Carrera Panamericana helped build the brand's reuputation as a high-quality carmaker.
Established among the international elite in the 1950s, Ferrari began producing a range of interrelated cars including the America, Monza, and 250 series.
It was then reorganised into a public company in 1960 before Fiat bought 50% of its shares in 1969.
After some less-traditional models of the 1967 Dino 206 GT and the 1968 365 GTB/4, the company moved towards mid-engine architecture and V6 and V8 engines throughout the 1970s and '80s.
Following Enzo's death in 1988, Fiat expanded its stake to 90%, with his last personally approved car being the F40.
The company then greatly expanded under the 23-year chairmanship of Luca Cordero di Montezemolo from 1991 to 2014, where profitability of the brand's road cars increased nearly tenfold.
His chairmanship also saw a drastic improvement for Ferrari's F1 performance and the production of three flagship cars: the F50, the Enzo, and the LaFerrari.
Since then, a range of CEOs have taken the reins that lead to Ferrari's initial public offering, subsequent spin-off from Fiat Chrysler, and launch of the brand's first fully electric model.
Present CEO Benedetto Vigna has seen Ferrari expand its production while also becoming more selective with its licensing deals.
