1959 Ferrari 250 GT TdF

The 250 TDF is named after the famous race the Tour de France. This race covered 3,345 miles, starting at Nice and ending in Paris, France. Designed by Pinin Faraina, famed designer Scaglietti is credited with the aesthetic appeal that is truly timeless.

The unfortunate crash of Pierre Levegh in the Le Mans 24-Hours of 1955 prompted the F.I.A. to re-write regulations to return endurance racing to dual purpose sports cars capable of road and racing use rather than the Grand Prix based cars that top level world class racing had become. Sports race cars in the mid 1950s were essentially Grand Prix cars cloaked in two-passenger coachwork. Following the tragedy at LeMans in 1955, which killed 80 people, there was a clamor, followed by new regulations, to return to the classic type of sports race car. This was one that could be driven about town and yet be tough and fast enough to be competitive, a truly practical race car.

Enzo Ferrari had been building competition coupes, the Berlinettas, since 1950 with the cars establishing a credible record in international competition. The new GT based regulations favored his 250 GT line of cars that evolved into the Geneva Auto Show display model of March, 1956, a Pinin Farina design that was the forerunner of the Scaglietti cars, Ferrari's official coach builder. The new 250 GT won its first race, Nassau, December 1955, and tallied numerous high finishes prior to the Tour de France of September of 1956.

This example, chassis number 1161 GT, is the last of the 1958 Tour de France cars, another race winning Ferrari Competition Belinettas. It has raced at Montgomery Airport, Lime Rock and Bridgehampton.