| Sports & Classics of Monterey Friday, August 15, 2008 - Saturday, August 16, 2008 |
||||||||
| 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta | ||||||||
|
||||||||
|
300bhp, 3,286 cc four overhead cam 60° V12 engine with six Weber carburetors, five-speed manual rear-mounted transaxle, four-wheel independent suspension with upper and lower wishbones, coil springs and tubular shocks, four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 94.5" (2,400mm) 1964 was an important year for Ferrari. John Surtees became Formula 1 World Champion and the team won the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, the International GT Constructors’ Championship, as well as the International Speed and Endurance Challenge. Racing improves the breed and Ferrari’s incredible success would heavily influence its latest production models. In October of 1964, following the end of production for Ferrari’s 250 GT SWB Berlinetta model, the 275 GTB was introduced as its successor at the Paris Auto Salon. Model nomenclature was derived from engine and cylinder displacement and helped differentiate the new from the old. The size of the 12-cylinder engine was increased from 3.0-liters to 3,286 cc, with each cylinder displacing roughly 275 cc. The Ferrari 275 GTB signaled an important evolution for Ferrari as the company had finally adopted a fully independent suspension, which had been tested, developed, and proven in Ferrari’s sports racing cars beginning with the Testa Rossa in the early 1960s. Bodied by Scaglietti and designed by Pininfarina, the 275 GTB echoed the aggressive, purposeful appearance of the 250 Tour de France and GTO with its long hood, covered headlights, fastback roofline, Kamm tail, and vents in both the front wings and roof sail panel. Devoid of unattractive lines, shapes, and proportions, the beautiful Coupés are considered by many automotive design critics to be among Pininfarina’s finest grand touring projects. In October 1966 at the Paris Salon, Ferrari introduced the next evolution of the 275 GTB, the 275 GTB/4. Other than an increase in track by 24mm, the chassis was unchanged. Pininfarina’s body, which had been enhanced during the 275 GTB’s production with a longer nose to reduce front end lift at speed, also remained the same with the exception of a small hood bulge to clear the carburetors. The change in model designation simply reflected the single substantial difference between the GTB/4 and its predecessor; the V12 engine was fitted with four overhead camshafts, two per cylinder bank. This revised powerplant, known as Tipo 226, developed as much power as Ferrari’s competition twin-camshaft engine. In addition to four camshafts, the Tipo 226 featured a number of engine modifications also developed directly from racetrack competition. For example, the new quad-cam had a dry sump oiling system, which prevented oil starvation in even the most severe cornering situations where the strain of G-forces could be tremendous on the car. An impressive set of six twin-choke Weber carburetors provided excellent breathing and the resulting power afforded drivers remarkable mid-range torque and flexibility. All told, this formidable powerplant was capable of propelling the new 275 GTB/4 to a top speed of 160 miles per hour. Competition power levels had been made available to Ferrari’s clients right off the showroom floor. The engine, driveshaft, and rear-mounted transaxle were combined in one sub-assembly, mounted to the chassis at four points. All of this helped produce a rigid car that handled superbly, with neutral handling and near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Perhaps one of the best summations of the GTB/4’s driving manners and performance abilities came from noted French car and motorcycle racing driver, Jean-Pierre Beltoise. In a road test published in 1967 in L’Auto Journal, the former Formula 1 driver commented, “I covered in complete safety and the greatest comfort … and while carrying on a normal conversation with my passenger, the 46 miles which separate the Pont d’Orléans from Nemours in a little less than 23 minutes … at an average speed of more than 121 miles per hour – which is remarkable enough without noting that I had to stop for the toll gates.” Although the 275 GTB/4 was a trend-setting sports car in many regards, it was also the last true coachbuilt road/race Berlinetta in the great Ferrari tradition. Accordingly, many examples led a dual life, winning at road courses and hill-climbs at weekends while being utilized for stylish and sporty transportation during the week. The spectacular example presented here, chassis 10253, is a left-hand drive version that was delivered new in August 1967 to the official dealer M.G. Crepaldi S.a.S. in Milan, Italy, before eventually being exported to the United States. By 1977, the car was listed in the Ferrari Owners Club membership directory as being owned by Donald L. Holsworth of San Francisco, California. Five years later, it was offered for sale by Bruce Trenery’s Fantasy Junction in Emeryville, California, having accumulated just 33,207 miles. Having since come under new ownership, the car has been professionally restored by marque specialist David Carte of Classic & Sport Auto in Virginia to highly exacting standards. The nut-and-bolt, ground-up restoration was such that the car was awarded 100 points not once, but twice! It first received the Platinum Award and the prestigious Excellence Cup in 2007 for outstanding restoration quality at the XVI Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. Thereafter, the car was shown at the 43rd Annual Ferrari Club of America International Meet, Field and Driving Concours, at Corning, New York, where it once more received 100 points and a Platinum Award. As would be expected, the car remains stunning throughout. Beautifully finished in Giallo Fly with a tobacco leather interior, it is an award-winning Ferrari that has not been driven since completion of its restoration and, as such, continues to be a concours-quality car throughout. Notably, the car is also accompanied by a complete set of books and the factory-correct tool set. In addition to being the first production Ferrari to feature a quadruple camshaft V12 powerplant, many consider the 275 GTB/4 to be the finest production Ferrari ever built; it combined a thoroughbred mechanical pedigree with sufficient creature comforts to make it a superlative grand touring automobile. And, although it was in production for a relatively short period, the 275 GTB/4 has endeared itself to astute drivers and enthusiasts who appreciate its tremendous performance and iconic styling. Perhaps Jean-Pierre Beltoise said it best: “It is, first and foremost, a serious and comfortable gran turismo, but it retains the lineage of a race car in the response of the engine and the quality of the handling. The 275 GTB/4 is one of the greatest automobiles created in our times." |
||||||||
|
||||||||