The new 250 GT Coupe introduced at the 1958 Paris Motor Show was a decisive step forward toward true series production for Ferrari. With this new coupe, Pinin Farina coachwork replaced the Boano- and Ellena-built cars, and 353 examples were built by the time production concluded. It was a true “gentleman’s Ferrari” in every sense of the phrase, thanks to its elegant styling and luxurious interior. The new 250 GT Coupe by Pinin Farina became Ferrari’s most commercially successful model.

Under the hood was Ferrari’s renowned 3.0-liter Colombo V-12, producing 240 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and topped with three twin-choke Weber carburetors. Born and developed in the crucible of motorsport, this engine provided the 250 GT Coupe with a top speed just shy of 150 mph, and it could reach 60 mph in seven seconds, which is impressive for a car of its class and faster than many comparable offerings from Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Maserati.

Chassis number 1301 GT was built in 1959 as a 250 GT Coupe by Pinin Farina and finished in a very elegant and understated color combination of Rosso Bordeaux (10027) with a Grigio Conchiglia (16249) roof over a vinyl and leather interior in Nero (8500). Additionally, the car sported a hood scoop, adding a slight flair of sportiness to an otherwise very stately and sophisticated automobile. It was delivered new to France through Franco Britannic Autos Ltd. in Paris, and it remained there before being returned to the factory to be fitted with Dunlop disc brakes.

The car then returned to France, where it was stored at Charles Pozzi’s facilities. At the same time, Pozzi’s facilities were also home to chassis number 0853 GT, a one-off Pinin Farina Coupe Specialé that was built for Prince Bertil of Sweden. This car was delivered to France for the Prince’s use while vacationing at his home in Saint-Maxime de la Mer on the French Riviera. When the Prince was in Sweden, chassis number 0853 GT was stored at Pozzi’s facilities alongside 1301 GT. During this time, there was an issue with the motor of 1301 GT, so it was switched by Pozzi for the engine in 0853 GT.

By 1972, chassis number 1301 GT had been sold to Gilbert Barnoin, a dentist residing in Nice, and it was reregistered on French plates 2690 RS 06. Barnoin would go on to own the car for the next 17 years, and then, the car was subsequently sold in 1989 to Luis José Flores Esteves, a Portuguese gentleman living in France. Esteves would be another long-term owner of chassis 1301 GT and continued to own the car until 2007, bringing it with him when he moved back to Oporto, Portugal.

The car was then purchased by noted New Hampshire-based collector Lee Herrington in 2007. At the time, Herrington also owned chassis 0853 GT and took the opportunity to reunite both cars with their original engines. While the engine number has been obscured on chassis 1301 GT, RM Sotheby’s Research & Editorial Department have been able to confirm with Ferrari that this engine is indeed original to the car through inspection of its internal numbers. In Herrington’s ownership, the car was in unrestored yet largely unmolested condition and said to be in good running order, even still sporting its original color combination.

After being purchased from Herrington by its current owner, the car was immediately sent to Billy Smilovsky, of Engineered Automotive in Concord, Ontario, Canada, for a full, concours-level restoration. The car was completely disassembled, and its every piece was restored to as-new condition. The car was refinished in its original color combination of Rosso Bordeaux and Grigio Conchiglia over a Nero leather interior. According to the consignor, over a period of three years, over $250,000 and 2,000 hours were spent on the restoration in the pursuit of perfection. As a result, the car presents exceptionally well.

Fresh from a no-expense-spared restoration, chassis 1301 GT is perhaps one of the finest examples of its kind available anywhere. It embodies every aspect of the 250 GT Coupe’s reputation for sporting elegance and would certainly please the most discerning of collectors on the show field or the open road.