1966-Ferrari-275 GTB Long Nose

Description

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB
s/n 08869 , Engine no. 08869
Rosso Corsa with Black Leather

Achingly beautiful, rare, and mechanically sophisticated, the Ferrari 275 GTB embodies everything that makes classic Ferraris sought-after and unique. The first 275’s appeared in 1964, employing an enlarged 3.3 litre version of Ferrari’s venerable Colombo-designed V12. The car featured many innovative features not found in the earlier 250, including a rear mounted transaxle for improved weight distribution, independent rear suspension, and 5-speed transmission. Over a period of two years, Ferrari built just 453 examples of the original 275 GTB, before introducing the revised GTB/4 at the Paris Auto Salon in October 1966. According to the research of Ferrari historian Dyke Ridgely, whose authoritative 275 GTB production list was recently published by Cavallino magazine, Carrozzeria Scaglietti built just 205 examples in the desirable long-nose body style, introduced approximately halfway through the model’s production and characterized by a revised front end treatment, larger rear window, and exterior trunk hinges. The cars were continuously developed mechanically, as was Ferrari’s convention, including the introduction of a torque tube arrangement to improve the stability and durability of the driveline. The vastly improved torque-tube arrangement appeared on just 107 cars.

s/n 08869 is a desirable late production, long nose, torque tube configuration example which was sold new to a corporate entity in Italy listed as ‘Cavallo’. Accordingly, it was delivered with instrumentation in kilometers for the home market, and was originally finished in dark red, with beige leather upholstery. By the 1970s the car had found its way to California and was owned at that time by longtime Ferrari aficionado and Chief Judge Emeritus for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Ed Gilbertson of San Francisco. Ed owned the car for several years, and recalls that while being a late production example, by the time of his ownership the car had been retrofitted with a short nose frontal bodywork section, perhaps resulting from accident repairs early in the car’s life. Gilbertson sold the car to Marc Mastoon of Illinois, who showed the car in an FCA National meeting in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin during his 26 year ownership. When Mr. Mastoon made the decision to part with his beloved Ferrari in the late 1990s, he stripped the bodywork to bare metal, returned the car to its original long nose configuration, and then performed an extensive cosmetic restoration that included new red paint, black leather upholstery, and replated brightwork. The then car passed to Ron Greene who purchased it in 2006, and ultimately sold it to the current owner.

With much restoration work performed by Mr. Mastoon in 2001, today this example is best described as displaying a very sharp driver level presentation. The paint is of high quality over generally straight panels. The brightwork is very nice throughout, still presenting very fresh. The glass, lenses, and emblems are excellent throughout, and the car sits on sparkling Borrani wire wheels shod with Michelin XWX tires.

The interior also has a nice driver’s level presentation with some aging evident to the leather seat upholstery, but with a beautifully refinished beautiful dash, door panels, headliner and carpets. The truck has been reupholstered in correct grey carpet material, and is beautiful.

The engine bay has clearly seen considerable restoration work and is largely correct in its details including the presence of the often missing window washer bag, period correct style battery, yellow fuel lines, and Ferrari’s standard crackle-finished valve covers. The underside is generally unrestored in its presentation.

Offered with copies of the original factory build sheets and a history report produced by Marcel Massini, s/n 08869 is bound to impress the discerning collector. Certainly among the most beautiful Ferrari road cars ever, 275’s have enjoyed tremendous appreciation recently. With just 107 long nose cars equipped with the vastly superior torque tube driveshaft configuration, this wonderful car is among the rarest of the rare, even when considered against other Ferraris such as the Lusso (350 examples built) and the Daytona (over 1200 examples built). s/n 08869 retains its matching numbers engine/chassis/driveline/body, and is in the most desired long nose, torque tube configuration, all of which make it a driver’s choice and a superb addition to any collection.