1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series II Coupe

After years of racing success, Enzo Ferrari sought to bring some financial stability to the automaker that bore his name. Ferrari's first foray into regular production grand touring road cars was unveiled to the public at the 1954 Paris Motor Show as the 250 Europa GT. An attractive, if rather sedate-looking, car, the 250 Europa GT's Pininfarina-penned lines clothed its racing-derived Colombo V-12 engine. Other coachbuilt versions of the 250 GT followed, but Enzo requested Pinin Farina to design an elegant 250 GT Coupe follow-up to the well-received 250 GT Boano and Ellena in the late 1950s. With its 1958 debut in Milan, the 250 GT Pininfarina Coupe was a grand touring car with a distinctive style that would mark the face of Ferrari for years to come. Between its introduction and its eventual discontinuation in 1960, Pininfarina's Grugliasco, Italy, plant crafted 353 examples of the new series production car. Of course, calling any early Ferrari a series' production vehicle is a bit of a misnomer, since each was hand built and typically pre-sold to a well-heeled buyer. Understated, as much as that term can be used to refer to a Ferrari, the 250 GT Coupe was notable for its lengthy hood and its cabriolet-with-hardtop side profile. Seeking to promote the 250 GT Coupe as a tourer, Ferrari included luxurious leather trim, sound deadening, thick carpeting, and a sophisticated climate control system. Underneath, a 240 horsepower version of the mighty Colombo V-12 sent power to the rear wheels. It was, essentially, a detuned version of the race-winning V-12 Ferrari put in competition cars and featured three twin-choke Weber downdraft carburettors and 8.8:1 compression. Among the fastest GT cars of its era, it sprinted to 62 mph in less than seven seconds before topping out at 141mph, besting competitive Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Maserati performance coupes.

This left-hand drive 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Series II Coupe is finished in its original build colour of Grigio Conchiglia (16249) with tan leather interior. "1567GT' was supplied new to the USA in November 1959 and is the 19th series II model out of a total number of 147 cars. Far fewer are believed to be on the road today.

1567GT has been subject to significant expenditure in recent years. In 2012 the car was treated to mechanical and trim detail by Maranello Rosso, SL of Madrid totalling €16,000. In 2013 the car was bare-metal repainted by Leqoq Carrosserie of Paris at a cost of over €18,000 and in 2014 the engine was extensively rebuilt by Joe Macari Performance Cars, London. This work included rebuilding the carburettors, new clutch, new brake pads and battery. After 2 years of significant expenditure, this 250 PF is ready to be used and enjoyed by its next owner.

These models offer a collector significant exclusivity whilst maintaining a degree of subtlety and sophistication. Cabriolet 250 PFs command price tags far into the millions and when compared to almost any other 250 Ferrari, the PF represents significant value.

Silverstone Auctions are proud to be able to offer this car at the inaugural Salon Privé Sale on September 4th 2014. Interested parties are invited to contact Will Smith on 0044 (0) 1926 691141 or 0044 (0) 7809 430111.