GRAN TURISMO BERLINETTA

By 1963, it had become increasingly apparent to Ferrari’s engineering team that the long-running and highly successful 250 GT series of road cars had reached the end of its development potential. Despite the fact that Ferrari was drifting toward a more luxurious base V-12 car, the company still wanted to maintain its fine tradition of dual-purpose sports/racing cars, which had cemented its considerable sporting reputation. Renowned British racer Michael Parkes, at the time a Maranello Works driver, participated in considerable testing and proved to develop a replacement model for the 250 GT platform, one that ultimately drew considerably from the 250 GTO, with its long front hood and short rear deck. The resulting 275 GTB, or Gran Turismo Berlinetta, debuted to great acclaim at the 1964 Paris Motor Show, appearing in tandem with a companion open-top spider version.

While the elegant 275 GTS Spider was constructed by Pininfarina, with a design brief stressing comfort and luxury, the 275 GTB Berlinetta retained the more sporting characteristics of prior Ferrari sports/racers, and it was built by Scaglietti. Technically, the 275 featured the final development of the classic single-overhead cam Colombo short-block design, which was now enlarged to displace 3,286 cubic centimeters. Optimal weight balance was achieved by mounting the gearbox directly to the rear axle, a rear transaxle design that would become a standard practice in many ensuing Ferrari road cars. The 275 is also notable as the first Ferrari for the street to feature an independent suspension on all four wheels, an innovation that eventually took hold across automobile manufacturing.

A year after the 275 GTB’s 1964 debut, a second series was unveiled that featured a longer nose, a modification intended to aid aerodynamic downforce at high speeds. Despite the technical improvements, many enthusiasts prefer the first-series cars’ proportions and purity of design, and early short-nose Series I examples remain the rarest of all iterations of the 275 GTB non-competition cars, with only approximately 250 examples built.

CHASSIS NUMBER 06681

This beautifully restored and highly awarded example of the early short-nose 275 GTB ably testifies to the brilliance of the revered Ferrari berlinetta. According to the research of marque historian Marcel Massini, chassis number 06681 was sent to Scaglietti in Modena for bodywork on 20 October 1964, while its V-12 engine completed assembly on 17 December. Within a matter of months, the car was completed and outfitted as a U.S.-delivery example with instruments in miles, and was further equipped with Borrani wire wheels, three Weber carburetors, and a Cologne radio. Delivered new to Navy Auto in the United States by the spring of 1965, this 275 GTB was initially retailed to an owner named Coughlin.

In 1972, the Ferrari was acquired by Richard L. Haskell, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. Haskell cared a great deal for the beautiful berlinetta, as he retained possession of the car for close to 20 years. At the time of his purchase, it displayed only 22,000 original kilometers, a figure that had grown to just 31,472 miles by 1985, following six years of consigned storage at the renowned FAF Motorcars in Tucker, Georgia. When offered for sale four years later, the 275 GTB still showed only 32,000 original miles.

By October 1994, the 275 had come into the care of Gary A. Stewart, of York, Pennsylvania. Still displaying just 33,000 miles, this 275 GTB had recently enjoyed a fresh repaint and detailing by Shelton Ferrari, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Records indicate that Mr. Stewart undertook some additional restorative measures before selling the car in the late-1990s to Stephen Bartkiw, of Ocean Ridge, Florida. Mr. Bartkiw quickly returned the car to Shelton Ferrari for a comprehensive restoration that refreshed every mechanical and cosmetic aspect of the car. The strength of this work was amply demonstrated in January 2004 at the 13th annual Palm Beach Cavallino Classic when the 275 GTB won a Platinum Award and the Coppa Bella Macchina Award, both arguably two of the most desirable and coveted awards presented by the FCA. A year later, presented again at Cavallino, the car reprised its performance by earning the same awards again.

Acquired by the previous owner in 2009, the car was submitted for Ferrari Classiche later that year, a distinction of provenance that the factory unwaveringly confirmed with the issuance of the desirable Red Book. Through the later years of Mr. Bartkiw’s ownership, as well as during the entirety of the previous owner’s tenure, this Ferrari was expertly maintained and serviced, as needed, by Greg Jones, the well-respected and knowledgeable Ferrari mechanic and FCA judge. The 275 was subsequently acquired by the current consignor, a respected collector of sports cars based in Chicago. He continued to have the car maintained by Jones, including a complete engine rebuild in 2013, as well as other essential sorting to bring the car up to concours standards. Furthermore, once the work was completed, Jones drove the car on the 1,000-mile West Virginia Mountain Mille, where the car performed without issue. It has since resided in his private collection, amongst a notable group of exceptional sports cars.

Still possessing its original V-12 engine, and restored in its original color livery, this fantastic early 275 GTB is a strikingly original example that should appeal to the true Ferrari connoisseur in search of a sparingly used and exceptionally maintained benchmark short-nose 275. The breathtaking berlinetta is accompanied by an original tool kit, owner’s manuals, service records from Greg Jones, and Ferrari Classiche Red Book.

Beautifully poised for additional exhibition awards on the FCA show circuit, or capable of the extended cruising and driving performance for which the Ferrari Gran Turismos are renowned, this arresting 275 GTB is an unusually complete and correct example that would make a fine addition to any collection of Ferraris or exceptional sports cars.