THE 275 GTS

Ferrari’s 275 GTS, intended as a replacement for the 250 GT Series II Cabriolet, premiered alongside its closed sibling, the 275 GTB, at the 1964 Paris Auto Show. While both cars looked remarkably different on the outside, they both bore similar 3.3-litre Colombo V-12s, chassis, and suspensions underneath. The 275 GTS was largely intended for the American market, as Ferrari convertibles had sold well in climates like California and Florida, where the attractiveness and marketability of a high-performance grand touring cabriolet had long been established.

While the 275 GTB’s bodywork was crafted just a short distance away from Ferrari, at Scaglietti’s facilities in Modena, the bodywork for the GTS was designed and constructed by Pininfarina at its facilities in Turin, and the car’s overall design was one of sporting elegance. Its smooth and more understated lines are handsome and display an air of sophistication, discreetly hiding the race-derived V-12 that sits under the hood. The interior displayed the same personality, yet it was perhaps more luxurious than earlier Ferraris. It still retained both a Nardi wood-trimmed steering wheel and a gated shifter—traits that would link it with its more performance-oriented siblings. One notable difference between the coupé and the spider, other than the bodywork, is the GTS’s less heavily bolstered, albeit very comfortable, seats, which were trimmed in the traditional Connolly leather.

Even though the 275 GTB was perceived by many to be the more aggressive of the two, as it was better suited to high-performance driving thanks to its fixed roof, the 275 GTS was certainly no slouch. Road & Track raved about the 275 GTS in its road test, which was included in the September 1966 issue, commenting that “with the top down, all the extraneous noises disappear and one simply exults in the purr from those beautiful tailpipes. Sheer ecstasy.” All told, only 200 examples were produced, which was equal to less than half the 275 GTBs produced.

CHASSIS NUMBER 07331

The car offered here, chassis number 07331, was originally delivered in Italy to the renowned American racing driver and Ferrari importer Bob Grossman, finished in Verde Scuro over Arancia. After some time in Grossman’s fleet, it was sold by a gentleman in Missouri to Lonney D. Getlin of Pensacola, Florida. Subsequently, it passed in 1972 to Charles Raymond Dobens of Pompano Beach, then through a dealer in Atlanta to several short-term owners in the South. In 1990, it was acquired from W.M. Hall of Jacksonville, Florida, by Michael Dichiaro of New Rochelle, New York.

Between 1995 and 2000, the 275 GTS was restored to its present appearance by the noted specialists at Automotive Restorations, Inc. of Stratford, Connecticut, for then-owner Henry Miller, including being refinished in the traditional color scheme of Rosso Corsa with tan leather. It was then sold in 2001 to Michael Westrick of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who in 2002 drove it on the Cavallino Classic Tour in Palm Beach.

Subsequently, in 2003, the car was acquired by a charter member and past president of the Ferrari Club of America, and a longtime connoisseur of the finest Maranello products. Of the 40 Ferraris that passed through his hands over the years, including a 250 LM and 166 MM, he described this car as being “the most enjoyable street Ferrari of them all.” While in his loving ownership, the car was carefully maintained and looked after, as well as being enthusiastically driven; it participated in the Highland Classic rally in North Carolina and was also taken out many times for weekend cruising. In January 2006, it was driven to the XV Palm Beach Cavallino Classic, where it was proudly parked in the paddock.

The current owner acquired the car in 2013, and in his ownership submitted it to Norbert Hofer of the well-known Gran Touring Classics in Long Beach, California. It has undergone a complete engine rebuild, including rebuilding of the carburetors, as well as extensive mechanical servicing, installation of new exhaust, rebuilding of the radio, and new tires, and is offered with a partial original tool set and partial set of books.

This is an ideal dual-purpose Ferrari that is as suitable for summer drives on Long Island, or whisking its way through the mountains, as it is for springtime jaunts across France, with only a passenger, a pair of suitcases, and the snarl of the V-12 as good company. It is sheer ecstasy – then as now.