The replacement to the 275 GTS, the 330 GTS, was designed to be an elegant, open-top, V-12 grand tourer for Ferrari’s best customers looking for the finest automotive experience money could buy. In addition to plenty of room for two plus their luggage, the 330 GTS also boasted an incredible set of performance figures. It boasted a top speed of 150 mph and a quarter-mile time of 15 seconds at just under 100 mph, and the 330 GTS could easily outpace just about any other car on the road when it was new.

Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October of 1966, its styling was instantly recognizable as a Pininfarina design of the mid-1960s. The 330 GTS epitomized mid-’60s Italian GT styling with its uncluttered and elegant design, from its classic nose characterized by its shallow egg-crate oval grille to its triple louvered vents on the rear flanks of the front fenders and on to the seductive tapered tail. The impeccable style carried on to the car’s interior, which was luxuriously appointed with twin leather bucket seats and a wood-rimmed, aluminum steering wheel. With remarkably spacious proportions inside, this was the perfect place to be for a 1,000-mile road trip across Europe or for a trip across town.

Aside from the obvious addition of its convertible top, the 330 GTS was identical to the 330 GTC Coupe that had been unveiled a few months earlier at the Geneva Salon. However, the convertible was built in much more limited numbers than its closed sibling. While 598 330 GTCs were built in total, only 99 of the 330 GTS would leave the factory gates by the time GTS production concluded in 1968, making the convertible much more desirable than the coupe. Today, these 99 cars are highly sought after by collectors for their fine driving characteristics as well as their gorgeous looks.

CHASSIS NUMBER 9781

One of just 99 330 GTSes built, chassis number 9781 was completed by the factory in April 1967 as a U.S.-specification example. It was delivered new through Luigi Chinetti Motors in Greenwich, Connecticut, to its first owner, Gerald Martin, of New York City, later that year. Finished in the seldom seen and highly desirable shade of Nocciola (19397) over a Nero Franzi interior, the car was retained in Mr. Martin’s ownership for the next nine years before its sale back to Chinetti.

In 1976, Jim Hughes, of Alamo, California, purchased the car from Chinetti, becoming the car’s second owner. Chassis number 9781 was shipped across the country to Hughes and remained with him until June 1983, when he sold the car to Glen Burkett, a pharmaceutical sales manager in Alamo. At that time, the car was noted as being refinished in yellow. The car was shown by Burkett at the 1984 Ferrari Owners' Club International Meeting and Concours in Carmel Valley, California.

Burkett retained the car for the next 20 years, occasionally showing it at concours events throughout his ownership, including the Meadow Brook Hall Concours d’Elegance in August 1997, where chassis number 9781 earned First in Class. He sold the car in the early-2000s to its fourth owner, Ron Yagoda, of Scottsdale, Arizona. Yagoda owned the car for a few more years, after which it was owned by Frank Boucher, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, before being acquired by its current owner.

The car has just finished a full restoration by marque specialists to its original and highly compelling color combination. During the restoration, the drivetrain was completely rebuilt and reassembled by Chris Dugan, of Dugan Enterprises. The suspension was fully rebuilt, and all-new rubber bushings were fitted with new brakes. All chrome parts were re-chromed, and the body was brought down to bare metal before a new coat of Nocciola was applied. The same level of attention to detail was furnished upon the interior, and the car presents entirely as new. Accompanying the car is a proper set of owner’s manuals, a complete tool roll, and a restoration file including photographs of the restoration and invoices. Furthermore, the car has been submitted for Ferrari Classiche certification.

Car and Driver described the excitement of driving the 330 GTS best when they said in their July 1967 issue, “Depress clutch. Find neutral. Turn ignition key. Give the gas a tiny, nervous touch. Oh my God!” Beautifully restored and ready for the road or concours events, there’s no doubt that this wonderful 330 GTS will put a smile on the faces of both its driver for its overall driving experience and of passersby for its unique colors.