Following in the footsteps of the 275 GTS, the 330 GTS was designed with the intention of providing Ferrari’s best customers with the finest open-top motoring experience that money could buy. Fast, elegant, and practical, the 330 GTS left their lucky owners wanting for nothing and solidified Ferrari’s reputation as the finest builder of grand touring cars. The only mistake that Ferrari made was to build only 99 such spiders when the demand certainly supported many more.

First unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October 1966, its coachwork was unmistakably Pininfarina. Characterized by its shallow egg-crate oval grille and triple louvered vents just aft of the front wheels, as well as its tapered tail that was first seen on the 275 GTS, this was sporting Italian elegance at its best. Boasting a beautifully trimmed interior with twin leather bucket seats and a wood-rimmed aluminum steering wheel, Ferrari owners would feel right at home. With a spacious boot, this was the perfect vehicle for an extended road trip in the summer months.

Of course, this would not be a true Ferrari if performance were overlooked. Depress the accelerator pedal, and the 330 GTS springs to life, capable of completing the quarter mile in a fraction of the time it took its Italian competition. Only 99 examples were built when production concluded in late 1968 compared to nearly 600 coupe versions, making it considerably rarer than its closed counterpart. Furthermore, the 330 GTS is twice as rare as its older sibling, the 275 GTS, of which 200 examples were built.

Produced in April 1967, chassis number 9781 was originally finished in the seldom-seen shade of Nocciola (19397 M) over a Nero Franzi interior. A U.S.-delivery example, it was shipped new to Luigi Chinetti Motors in Greenwich, Connecticut. Later in 1967 it was sold to its first owner, Gerald Martin of New York City. Martin owned the Ferrari for nearly a decade, trading it in to Chinetti in 1976. Chinetti sold the car to its second owner, Jim Hughes, who shipped the car across the country to his home in Alamo, California.

Hughes sold the GTS to its third owner, Glen Burkett, a pharmaceutical sales manager, in June 1983. Burkett also lived in Alamo but later moved to nearby Danville, California. During his ownership, the car was repainted yellow and was shown a number of times at Ferrari events in California, including the 1984 Ferrari Owners Club International Meeting and Concours at the Rancho Canada Golf Club. Chassis 9781 was also presented at the Vintage Ferrari Concours in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1996. In 1998 the Ferrari won the coveted Platinum Award at Concorso Italiano in Monterey, California.

The 300 series, both coupes and spiders, were often used in hill climb events, as their handling was responsive to twists and turns with flawless precision. Chassis 9781 was no stranger to such events under the stewardship of Glen Burkett. Burkett actively participated in the 330 GTS with only one accident to its credit. In 2005 the car was sold to Ron Yagoda of Scottsdale, Arizona. Yagoda retained the car for a several years, selling it to Frank Boucher of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2011. In 2014 and after Boucher’s ownership, 9781 was the subject of a professional, no-expense-spared restoration by the renowned European Collectables and Chris Dugan. The cost of this meticulous restoration exceeded $400,000 and resulted in one of the finest restored examples extant.

The Ferrari was acquired by the current owner in August 2015. It was subsequently refinished in the very attractive color of Grigio Ferro with a black leather interior and a black convertible top. Today the GTS presents in factory-fresh condition with approximately 60,000 miles on the odometer. This Ferrari would go on to win additional Platinum Awards at Cavallino in January 2017, 2018, and 2019. In addition to restoration receipts, original books and tools accompany this extraordinary 330 GTS, along with its well-deserved Ferrari Classiche “Red Book.”

A true “gentleman’s Ferrari” in every sense, the 330 GTS remains just as desirable today as it was the day it was first shown to the public. Few automotive experiences can top driving a 12-cylinder Ferrari with the top down. As a model intended for crossing continents at high speed, each additional mile is sure to be better than the last. A stunning example, this 330 GTS would be the perfect fair-weather tourer or concours participant, sure to only attract the most favorable of compliments while out and about.