1960 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale

As racing costs continued to increase, Ferrari found itself in a state of transition during the mid-to-late 1950s, offsetting those costs by selling more road-going models. Ferrari had offered road-going models in the past, but they were essentially built to order and due to the low volume and high costs, they were unprofitable.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale photo
Coupe
Chassis #: 2821 GT
Engine #: 2821
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The Ferrari touring cars were luxurious and well-appointed with more soundproofing than the racing cars but with a strikingly similar chassis and drivetrain. The had complete instrumentation, a luxurious leather interior, and many other passenger amenities. The 250 Series became Ferrari's first volume-produced model beginning with the 250 Europa, built from 1953 to 1954, albeit with fewer than 20 examples built. Ghia and Vignale of Turin and Touring of Milan created coachwork for many of the cars that had preceded the 250 Europa, but there was no attempt at standardization for series production and no two cars were alike. This changed with the 250 Europa, with Pinin Farina (later 'Pininfarina') becoming the preferred coachbuilder, bodying no fewer than 48 out of the 53 Europa/Europa GTs built. A new 250 GT road car was first displayed publicly at the Geneva Salon in March of 1956, but Pinin Farina was unable to cope with the increased workload, resulting in production being entrusted to Carrozzeria Boano after Pinin Farina had completed a handful of prototypes.

The engine powering the 250 GT was a compact Colombo-designed 3.0-liter V12 in place of its predecessor's bulkier Lampredi unit. The single-overhead-camshaft all-aluminum engine produced 220 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and was installed in a wheelbase that was 200mm shorter than that of the Europa. The multi-tubular frame followed Ferrari's established practice and was tied together by oval main tubes, though the independent front suspension now employed coil springs instead of the previous transverse leaf type. In the back was a live rear axle that handled the power being sent by the four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox. Braking was handled by hydraulic drums all round.

During 250 GT production, several important developmental improvements were implemented, including the original 128C 3.0-liter engine being superseded by the twin-distributor 128D, which in turn was supplanted in 1960 by the outside-plug 128F engine which did away with its predecessor's Siamesed inlets in favor of six separate ports. By 1959, four-wheel disc brakes had become standardized, and a four-speed-plus-overdrive gearbox arrived the following year.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale photo
Coupe
Chassis #: 2821 GT
Engine #: 2821
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The first true 'series' production was Pininfarina's 'notch back' Coupe on the 250 GT. Between 1958 and 1960 (within the sequence '0841' to '2081') a total of 353 examples were built. Additionally, the company built a handful of show cars and 'specials', and customers were still able to order subtle variations and unique touches to their vehicles. Several prominent European coachbuilders created a variety of body styles on the 250 GT chassis, including those by Scaglietti and Pininfarina, with some leading to series production.


by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2021

Related Reading : Ferrari 250 GT History

Production of the 250 Series began in 1954 and continued on through the early part of the 1960s. There were numerous variations of the 250 and would ultimately become Ferraris most successful line of vehicles to date. The 250 is also recognized as the first Ferrari to ever receive disc brakes. This did not take place until the end of the 1950s. Also, the 250 was the first four-seater. Ferraris....
Continue Reading >>

1960 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale Vehicle Profiles

1960 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale vehicle information
Cabriolet

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 1737 GT
1960 Ferrari 250 GT Speciale vehicle information
Coupe

Designer: Pininfarina
Chassis #: 2821 GT
Engine #: 2821

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

250 GT Pinin Farina

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
94.49 in., 102.36 in.
12 cyl., 180.20 CID., 240.00hp

Related Automotive News

Landmark Ferraris trace Maranello's race-to-road lineage at Salon Privé

Landmark Ferraris trace Maranello's race-to-road lineage at Salon Privé

Salon Privé Concours Ferraris of the 50s and 60s class is set to showcase Maranellos remarkable progress from a purely competition-focused manufacturer to one now renowned for building some of the greatest road-going sports cars in the world. S...
Spectacular Racers Lead Stellar Entry For Salon Privé Concours D'Élegance

Spectacular Racers Lead Stellar Entry For Salon Privé Concours D'Élegance

Rare Ferraris include legendary Le Mans-winning 166MM First production Jaguar D-type will join them at Blenheim Palace Grand Touring era represented by beautiful Aston Martin DB4 GT McLaren F1 GTR to be ho...
Ferrari Royalty Set to Headline RM Sotheby's Arizona Auction

Ferrari Royalty Set to Headline RM Sotheby's Arizona Auction

FERRARI 250 GT COUPE SPECIALE AND LAFERRARI APERTA LEAD FIRST SALE OF 2019 One-off 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale originally delivered to Princess Lilian de Réthy of Belgium set to star at RM Sothebys Arizona auction, 17-18 January at...
Ferrari: Under The Skin

Ferrari: Under The Skin

15 November 2017 - 15 April 2018 Major exhibition announced by the Design Museum in London to mark the 70th anniversary of Ferrari £140M worth of Ferraris featured in exhibition displaying cars driven by racing drivers Peter Collins and Stir...
From Russo With Love! Ferrari with 007 Pedigree to Cross the Block at Russo and Steele Monterey!

From Russo With Love! Ferrari with 007 Pedigree to Cross the Block at Russo and Steele Monterey!

1970 Ferrari 365 22 with 007 Pedigree Set to Cross the Block at Russo and Steeles 16th Annual Monterey Collector Automobile Auction Event! Scottsdale, Arizona (June 24th, 2016) – First shown at Paris in 1967, the 365 GT 22 took place...

Vehicle information, history, and specifications from concept to production.