GIVE IT TWICE AS MANY

At the Paris Salon in October 1964, Ferrari unveiled the replacement for the 250 GT platform. Powered by a 3.3-liter development of the long-running “Colombo” short-block V-12 engine, the 275 GTB was clothed in Pininfarina-designed and Scaglietti-built coachwork that bore more than a passing resemblance to the celebrated 250 GTO. The model was the first Ferrari road car to feature independent rear suspension and a five-speed transaxle, as well as the GTB (Grand Touring Berlinetta) nomenclature that remains in use today.

Only 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. By October 1966 the twin-cam engine was replaced with a four-cam arrangement, and the prior model became regarded as a distinct entity, produced in a modest quantity of just 454 examples, of which the early short-nose (first series) design accounted for slightly more than half.

While a majority of these early 275s were equipped with the standard three-carburetor manifold, six carburetors were, in fact, optioned on a relatively small number of cars. Considered the very best of the best, these six-carburetor (6C) short-nose examples are now regarded as the purest and most powerful iteration of the striking 275 GTB, and they are prized by today’s enthusiasts and found in exceptional collections the world over.

275 GTB/6C BERLINETTA 06779

This beautifully maintained six-carburetor 275 benefits from a well-documented chain of ownership that includes just two owners since new. According to the research of marque expert Dyke Ridgley, chassis number 06779 is one of approximately 60 short-nose 275 GTB’s originally equipped with six carburetors.

Originally finished in the handsome shade of Rosso Cina over a cockpit trimmed in beige Connolly leather, this short-nose GTB was further specified with standard steel bodywork, left-hand drive, and instrumentation in miles. The car was “completed” at the factory on 24 February, with an additional note specifying that the six-carb setup was added two weeks later on 15 March. 06779 departed Maranello with that desirable upgrade and had passed through Chinetti on to its first recorded owner—the Canadian retail heir John Craig George Eaton II—by late May 1965.

Eaton greatly enjoyed this impressive berlinetta for several years until around 1970, by which time he had it removed to storage then indicating approximately 24,000 miles. Interestingly, Massini notes that the car’s storage location was, in fact, the racing offices for John Craig’s brother George Ross Eaton, Canada’s first full-time Formula One driver (with BRM) and proprietor of George Eaton Racing.

LIFE WITH THE CONSIGNOR; OWNER NUMBER TWO

The car would remain in a state of static display until 1997, when Eaton sold it to the consignor in a deal brokered by Ferrari of Ontario. Part of the sales agreement on file notes that 06779 was to be completely restored by the dealer, and so the next four years were spent returning this fascinating 275 GTB/6C to a state befitting its formidable factory specifications. At this time, its original color scheme was replaced by its present Giallo Fly exterior and Pelle Beige leather upholstery. Freshly reborn and entirely road-ready, the consignor first took possession of 06779 upon completion of its exhaustive restoration in late 2001, then indicating just shy of 24,900 miles.

The consignor initially procured much enjoyment from his ownership experience by driving this freshly restored car, but after a move to Arizona in 2005, he subsequently decided that 06779 was such an important prize that he had it installed for static display in his living room for the next 17 years.

Recent research has shown that at some point in the distant past, possibly as early as when the car was handled new by Chinetti, the identity of 06779 and 07177 were swapped by someone outside of the factory. Both were sold new by Chinetti, and both were born a shade of red with beige interior and six carburetors. The original 07177 headed out to the US West Coast while the original 06779 was sold new to Mr. Eaton in Canada. However, it was uncovered much later on that each car had been superficially stamped with the other’s identity. Half of this mystery was rectified in 2010, when the Belgian owner of the original 07177 brought the car to Ferrari Classiche (then stamped as 06779) and confirmed that all its equipment matched Ferrari’s internal records for the components recorded in chassis 07177, and its identity was properly returned to original.

After confirming the situation with Ferrari, the consignor similarly returned our subject lot to Ferrari Classiche headquarters in Maranello in early 2022 so that they could issue a Classiche Red Book and properly return the car to its original identity. Accordingly, 06779’s major components were certified as those bearing the correct “internal” numbers, and its Ferrari Classiche Red Book confirms it to be a full numbers-matching 275 GTB/6C, with its identity now correctly restored to 06779.

Just prior to this sale, 06779 has been returned to its high-performance 6C specification and fully certified by Ferrari Classiche. Chassis number 06779 is a rarified 275 GTB that is truly worthy of inclusion in any of the world’s most exclusive Ferrari collections. Having just two owners since 1965 and offered today with an additional set of Campagnolo “starburst” alloy wheels, tools, manuals, circa 1997 restoration invoices, and new Classiche Red book, this stunning berlinetta would be a brilliant car to drive and enjoy—and one that would surely attract plenty of attention at the world’s most exclusive concours events.