The story of how the 1969 Ferrari 365 GT NART Spyder came to be is fascinating, but you should know that its creator, Luigi Chinetti Jr., thought it was ugly, too. In an interview with The Car Experience in 2014, he called the car a missed opportunity.
“It could have been a really nifty car,” Chinetti said. “It drove really well, it just looked a bit strange. It didn’t quite come out the same as the drawings—it was about 70% of what it should have been, which is sad. I guess it’s my fault, because I didn’t stay close enough to the project.”
Chinetti said that the car was about eight inches too tall and that the rake of the windshield, in particular, compromised the shape. The nose, meanwhile, was inspired by the Ferrari 512 BB LM, which you can see in the headlights, though the grille does it no favors.
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But the looks overshadow what the car was really supposed to be all about. Chinetti was the son of Luigi Chinetti Sr., who founded NART in 1958 and raced Ferraris for years. His relationship with the brand eventually led to a run of 25 275 GTB/4S NART Spyders, and the undying respect of Enzo.
Like his father, Chinetti Jr. (known to his friends as Coco), was also a racer, earning land speed records and class wins at Le Mans. By the mid-’80s, he wanted to make a Spyder of his own and decided to start with the 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2.
The 365 GT had a 4.4-liter V12 engine and was based on a tubular steel chassis. With 801 produced, it was much less expensive than some other models to use as a base.
After the original coachwork was removed, and replaced with aluminum sheet metal, Coco estimated that the car weighed about 1,000 lbs (453 lbs) less than it had from the factory. Thanks to some engine tuning, the 275 GTB/4S Nart could hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 6 seconds.
Coco only ever managed to make two of these cars, and this one was the second. It has spent its entire life in Germany, and according to Autogalerie, which is handling the sale, it has around 3,106 miles (5,000 km) on the odometer.
Sure, it’s a rare classic in good condition and low miles, and bears the official seal of Ferrari but is it enough though to overcome the looks that even a mother wouldn’t love? And more importantly, would you be willing to spend €1.3 million ($1.39 million USD at current exchange rates) for it?
