Lot 164

London 2014

1968 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina

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£392,000 GBP | Sold

United Kingdom | London, United Kingdom

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Chassis No.
11427
Engine No.
11427
  • Legendary driving dynamics; considered to be one of the finest Ferrari grand tourers
  • Documented history by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini
  • A matching-numbers example outfitted with optional factory air conditioning

300 bhp, 3,967 cc SOHC V-12 engine with three Weber 40 DCZ6 carburettors, five-speed rear-mounted manual transmission, four-wheel independent suspension via wishbones, coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,400 mm

Ferrari’s 330 GTC was introduced to the public at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, and it was envisioned to sit between the more sporting 275 GTB and the more luxurious 330 GT 2+2 as the perfect combination of performance and luxury. As such, Ferrari’s engineers aimed to endow the 330 GTC with the best aspects of both cars in order to create an automobile that was suitable for every situation and style of driving. This was a car that Ferrari wished to market to all of its clients, and they believed it would be a suitable daily driver or special weekend toy.

The 330 GTC very effectively combined different aspects of other cars from Ferrari’s range to produce a very well-rounded automobile. The 330 GTC utilised the same suspension, steering, and transmission as the 275 GTB and the 4.0-litre V-12 from the 330 GT 2+2, making it every bit as exciting to drive as its big brother. The 330 GTC also benefitted from a wheelbase that was 10 inches shorter than the 330 GT 2+2, which also helped the car’s handling. However, this meant that there was simply no space to fit a rear seat. Instead, a rear parcel shelf was installed in its place, allowing usable space for the driver, passenger, and their luggage, should there be no space left in the boot.

Pininfarina’s design for the 330 GTC also incorporated elements from Ferraris of past and present, as the tail of the 330 GTC was first seen on the 275 GTS, and the GTC’s nose was a similar design to the limited-production Series II 500 Superfast. The design also incorporated thin A- and B-pillars, like those seen on the 250 GT/L ‘Lusso’, which allowed for better driver visibility and gave the cabin a very airy feeling, adding to the car’s light and elegant design. By the time production ceased in 1968, only 598 examples had been produced, making it a rare sight on motorways throughout Europe and North America.

Chassis 11427, the 1968 330 GTC presented here, was sold new to its first owner, Clemento Ravetto of Palermo, Italy, in September 1968, according to noted Ferrari historian Marcel Massini. It was originally finished in Amaranto, a dark red, over a Nero Franzi leather interior, and it was fitted with factory air conditioning, making for a fantastic driver. During his ownership, Ravetto had his 330 GTC serviced and maintained by Ferrari Assistenza Clienti in Modena on at least three separate occasions before he sold the car to its second owner in Treviso, Italy. It was serviced once more by the Assistenza Clienti Department before it was exported from its native Italy to the United States in 1972.

In September of that year, the car was advertised for sale in the Ferrari Club of America’s newsletter by Bart J. McMullern, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It is assumed that 11427 passed through one more private client afterwards, as it was advertised in the April 1974 issue of AutoWeek magazine by Harley Cluxton III’s Grand Touring Cars in Phoenix, Arizona. Three years later, the 330 GTC appeared in AutoWeek for sale once more, listed again by Grand Touring Cars of Phoenix, but this time it was described as wearing a blue over black colour combination. In the 1980s, it is noted that the car crossed back across the Atlantic to Switzerland following a repaint in bright red, and it has remained in that country ever since. Today, the car remains in splendid condition, and it has been well preserved and maintained whilst in Switzerland. Overall, the car presents well, and the interior is believed to be largely original and showing the correct amount of patina for its age, giving it some additional character and charisma.

The 330 GTC embodies all the best aspects of the Ferrari brand and mystique. As it has been classically styled by Pininfarina and fitted with a proper 4.0-litre, front-mounted V-12 engine, this is a car that is as elegant as it is sporting. The 330 GTC has long been considered to be one of the finest driving Ferraris money can buy, as it embodies the best aspects of performance and luxury that Ferrari had to offer at the time. As such, a 330 GTC would be an astute acquisition for any collector, as it is a car that plays an important part in the marque’s history, and it is one best enjoyed at speed on the open road.