Ferrari used the occasion of the 1958 Paris Salon to introduce its latest coupe model built on the evolving 250 GT platform. Still utilizing the 2,600-mm-wheelbase chassis, the new coupe was fitted with the latest iteration of the Colombo short-block V-12 engine, the type 128 D, a torque-heavy inside-plug motor with hairpin valve springs that was utilized in the racing Testa Rossa and California spider models.

In addition to its potent mechanical elements, the new 250 GT was notable for its restrained and elegant coachwork, which was designed and built by Pinin Farina. Featuring a long hood and short deck with no extraneous vents and an unadorned beltline, the design exuded luxurious sophistication. Some 355 examples of the ‘PF coupe’ were built through late 1960, and the model has evolved into one of the most collectible variants of the 250 GT, combining brisk performance with distinctive styling.

This beautifully presented coupe claims bespoke features and important ownership provenance, resulting in one of the more desirable examples offered in recent memory. According to the research of marque historian Marcel Massini, chassis 1007 GT is the 31st example built, and was ordered new by Carlo Vitale, the co-owner of Wax & Vitale S.a.S., a famed Genoese importer of luxury goods such as the Scotch whiskey Johnnie Walker. Vitale and his partner Dr. Enrico Wax were preferred Ferrari clients who owned many important Maranello speed machines, including a Scaglietti-bodied 410 Superamerica, a 250 MM, and a competition 250 GT SWB. Chassis 1007 GT is one of two such PF coupes ordered by the two importers, each equipped with significant and singular bespoke features.

Upholstered in Pelle Blu Connolly leather and finished in the popular Grigio Conchiglia, this example was built with numerous details that distinguish it from any other such coupe. Distinctive exterior features include special chromed exhaust tips and chromed decoration under the headlamp bezels, unique badging in which the standard yellow insignia on the hood was replaced with large chromed Ferrari lettering and a chromed prancing horse, and Pinin Farina and Ferrari logos mounted astride the rear license plate area.

The interior featured gray carpeting and a dashboard covered in complementary blue leather, an offset shifter for the four-speed gearbox, and an array of special dashboard instrumentation that evokes a competition motif. The coachwork was also factory-fitted with a weight-reducing hood and decklid formed from fiberglass, reflecting Pinin Farina’s experimentation with cutting-edge materials then popular with builders of competition cars and sports-specials.

Completed in October 1958, the unique PF coupe was delivered to Mr. Vitale, and according to Hilary Raab’s seminal guide to Ferrari serial numbers, the car was nicknamed “Perri.” Within a few months the 250 GT was sold to Luigi Chinetti’s American import concern, and in January 1959 the car was displayed at the Chicago Auto Show. The following year Chinetti sold the coupe to William Bryan of Munhall, Pennsylvania, a real estate developer and World War II veteran whose parents had managed a Hudson dealership. Mr. Bryan was a fervent motoring enthusiast, owning two Ferraris, ten Rolls-Royces, a Bentley, and a one-seated De Tomaso Isis racer, in addition to several Cadillacs and Jaguars. Mr. Bryan notably showed this car at the very first Ferrari Club of America Annual Meet held on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana in April 1965. He drove many of his cars in the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, and he retained possession of the 250 GT for at least 15 years.

During the late 1980s the Ferrari was displayed at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, and by the early 1990s it had come under the purview of Peter Markowski of RPM Vintage Racecar Services in Vermont, who presented the car at the FCA National Concours d’Elegance at Palm Beach, Florida, in June 1993. In 1994, the 250 GT was acquired by Susan De Felice and shown the following year at the FCA National Concours d’Elegance at Mid-Ohio. The car was also invited to the 1997 Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance in Michigan.

By the late 1990s the PF coupe was sold to Stephen Bacen of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he drove the car in the Northeast Ferrari Rally in June 2000, after which he commissioned RPM to perform a sympathetic restoration that included a rebuild of the original engine, as well as work to the clutch, starter, generator, water pump, and fuel pump. The brakes and rear axle were rebuilt, and a new driveshaft was fitted.

Cosmetically, the coachwork received a complete repaint in silver metallic, closely approximating the original color, while the brightwork was re-chromed. The interior was comprehensively trimmed to original specifications, including a recovery of the dashboard in proper blue leather, re-upholstery of the visors and headliner, and re-plating of trim pieces. Following this restorative process, Mr. Bacen presented the coupe at the Cavallino Classic in January 2003, and at the FCA North American Field and Driving Concours at Sebring in April 2003.

In the late 2000s, the Ferrari was reacquired by Mr. Markowski and inspected by Marcel Massini before being presented at the FCA National Concours at New Jersey Motorsports Park in September 2010. A year later the 250 GT was sold to Peter Hosmer of New Hampshire, and he displayed the car at the 2013 Cavallino Classic, where it received a gold award.

Acquired by the consignor in early 2015, the Ferrari has since been treated to service and cosmetic refinishing as needed. This has most significantly included some minor attention to the engine by marque expert Patrick Ottis, as well as a refinishing and detailing of the engine compartment by the consignor.

As one of two examples specially ordered by Wax & Vitale, and benefiting from a sympathetic restoration and recent detailing, this exceptional and rare 250 GT would make a stunning addition to any collection, particularly suited for Ferrari enthusiasts in search of such distinctive and bespoke examples.