With values skyrocketing, classic Ferraris tend to trade hands quite often, earning their previous owners a handsome profit. But not this one. The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 you see here has been owned by the same collector for over four decades, but now he’s selling it.
Following the legendary 250 series, the 275 was one of the most iconic of Prancing Horses to emerge from Maranello in the 1960s. It packed a 3.3-liter V12 under its long hood, with curvaceous bodywork penned by Pininfarina and rendered in the metal by Scaglietti – two of Ferrari’s longtime partners. Only 331 examples were ever made, and this one could be yours if you have the scratch.
Built to European specifications, it was sold by a dealership in Rome in September 1967, finished in Verde Pino with a black leather interior. In the decades since, it passed through four owners over the course of its life. Its original owner put it up for sale only two years after buying it, after which it was acquired by its second owner on New York’s Long Island. The present owner saw it listed in the classified section of The New York Times in the mid-70s and made it his own.
The current owner had it repainted in another shade of green (Cadillac’s “Fire Mist”), had the engine rebuilt, and in 1996 had Ferrari of Atlanta work it over comprehensively at a cost of nearly $30,000 – just part of the $140,000 in repair and restoration recorded in the accompanying invoices. After more than 40 years, the 275 is now consigned to Bonhams, which will auction it off during its upcoming event at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in Connecticut next weekend. The auctioneer expects it will fetch about $3 million when the gavel drops on June 5.
That value is roughly in line with what 275s are going for at auction these days. The one notable exception sold for over $10 million at Pebble Beach two years ago, but that once belonged to Steve McQueen, who took delivery of it while filming Bullitt – a movie well-remembered by enthusiasts as much for his performance as for the Mustang he drove… in a color combination just like this one.
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