A BERLINETTA FOR THE AGES

As one of the marque’s most dynamic classic roadgoing models, the Ferrari 275 GTB has long been celebrated for its extended touring capabilities, race-bred performance, and captivating aesthetics. Officially introduced at the Paris Salon in October 1964, the new berlinetta was powered by a 3.3-liter development of the “Colombo” short-block V-12 engine, and it was Maranello’s first road car to be equipped with an independent rear suspension and a weight-saving transaxle. Scaglietti’s coachwork to a Pininfarina design was a clear derivation of the breathtakingly beautiful 250 GTO, featuring a long front deck with covered headlamps, a raked windshield, and pronounced rear fender haunches.

After several months of feedback, Ferrari conducted a mild redesign of the 275 GTB during mid-1965. Most obviously, the nose was lengthened in an effort to reduce front-end lift at high speed. Secondarily, a new transmission design with CV joints was implemented to prevent vibrations that had often developed with the original solid-propshaft configuration. A small batch of short-nose cars was then completed before production transitioned entirely to the long-nose design with CV joints, during which a third early car, the featured lot, was earmarked for presentation at the season’s auto shows.

THE FIRST ROADGOING LONG-NOSE ALLOY

Claiming a number of significant metrics, as well as being Ferrari’s 1965 Turin show car, this fascinating 275 GTB/6C Alloy has emerged from a multi-decade bout of storage, offering an ideal slate for a thoughtful restoration project. According to the combined research of marque experts Marcel Massini and Dyke Ridgley, chassis number 07809 was clothed by Scaglietti during October 1965. The berlinetta is just the third roadgoing example of the long-nose body configuration fitted with CV joints, and it was the very first example to be clothed with a low-weight alloy racing body and fitted with six carburetors.

Finished in Ferrari competition colors of Rosso Cina paint over a blue interior, 07809 was originally assigned for exhibition at the Paris Salon, but the 275 instead made its grand debut a month later at the Turin Motor Show in November 1965. By the end of the month a certificate of origin was issued. On Christmas Eve the berlinetta was sold through a marque dealer in Bologna to Editoriale Il Borgo S.p.A. on behalf of Luciano Conti. Signor Conti was an amateur racing driver-turned-publisher who founded a notable motorsports weekly called Autosprint. The magazine received significant support from Enzo Ferrari, who had become disenchanted with the Italian motoring press; occasionally, he even penned an article for the publication.

During just over seven months of ownership, Conti had the 275 GTB/6C serviced twice at the Ferrari Factory Assistenza Clienti in Modena, and in May 1966 he was joined by co-driver Vittorio Venturi to attempt a run at the epic Targa Florio. Entered by the Scuderia Nettuno, and wearing race #228, the 275 GTB unfortunately only completed two laps before it was forced to retire for reasons unknown.

In August 1966 Conti sold the Ferrari to Enrico Tronconi of Milan, and he returned the car to the factory’s Assistenza Clienti in Modena for further service before refinishing the coachwork in yellow with a purple stripe and reupholstering the interior in black. In March 1968 Tronconi sold the 275 to its third owner, Marcel Leemann of Zurich, and after further service by the Assistenza Clienti, the car was imported to Switzerland in 1970.

After enjoying two years of care by dealer Gerhard Möll in Bettlach, Switzerland, the Ferrari passed in February 1973 to the well-known Dutch dealer and automotive author Rob de la Rive Box, from whom the car was sold to Mark Derish of New York City a month later. The berlinetta was then briefly owned by James Glickenhaus, the esteemed former film producer, motoring enthusiast, and heavyweight collector who in recent years has become very well known for founding his own endurance prototype racecar company and team, the Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus.

The Ferrari passed through two more New York-based ownerships before being purchased in November 1977 by FAF Motorcars of Tucker, Georgia. The home of noted Ferrari enthusiast, brand historian, and Ferrari Market Letter publisher Gerald Roush, the marque dealership FAF is now recognized as one of the earliest proponents of Ferrari collecting. Gerald Roush conducted an inspection of the 275 during which he concluded that the nose section of the alloy coachwork had been replaced with steel material, probably as the result of a prior crash during racing. By this time, the car was finished in rosso paint over a nero interior and fitted with Borrani wire wheels.

In December 1977, FAF sold the Ferrari to Dr. William Gossman of Jeffersonville, Indiana, but he traded the car back to the dealer about a year later. This afforded a perfect opportunity for Walter Medlin, who purchased the GTB/6C from FAF in April 1979. Mr. Roush enjoyed one final ride in 07809, putting the racing berlinetta through the paces at the FCA meet at the Daytona International Speedway in early April.

For the last 44 years, the Ferrari has remained secluded from the larger marque community, being domiciled in a barn in Florida for an extended period. Unfortunately, during this time Hurricane Charley struck in August 2004, somewhat compromising the 275’s previously well-preserved state, and the car was prominently featured in a widely circulated photo of the barn’s collapse during the hurricane. Despite requiring a full restoration, the GTB/6C nevertheless evidences promising potential, as it continues to feature the six-carburetor intake and displays stampings that demonstrate the presence of the matching-numbers engine. Its gearbox, numbered 380, is of the correct type.

For the discerning Ferrari enthusiast seeking to steward an important 275 through the process of rejuvenation, the Lost & Found Collection’s long-nose 275 GTB/6C presents a tantalizing offer. The collectible Ferrari niche would surely relish the chance to welcome a restored onetime Turin Salon car that is merely the third production long-nose example built, and the first to be equipped to competition specifications. 275 GTB purists should not overlook this excellent opportunity to pluck a proverbial diamond in the rough and return it to the splendor it deserves.