1967 Ferrari 330 GTS Convertible Coupe

Finished in the original Celeste Blue Metallic over Rosso Scuro, this 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS was the fifth GTS built. It was delivered to Luigi Chinetti Motors in Greenwich, Connecticut in April of 1967. Dr. Samuel Scher of New York City bought the car from Chinetti but on September 16, 1969, the car suffered a small engine fire and the car was sold at an insurance auction in New Jersey. There it was purchased by a collector who parked it in his garage in Pennsylvania fully intending to repair the car but he never did and the car sat, accumulating dust and grime for the next 45 years. It has now been refreshed by its new owner in order to get it back on the road.

Shortly after introducing the 330 GTC at the 1966 Geneva Auto Salon, Ferrari unveiled their exclusive spider variant, the GTS. Both the 330 GTC and GTS were built on the same tubular chassis, which was similar to that of the contemporary 275 GTB/4. All three cars featured the same mechanical layout that utilized a fully independent suspension setup, four-wheel Girling disc brakes, a rigid torque-tube driveshaft, a five-speed rear-mounted transaxle, and Campagnolo alloy wheels. At the owner's request, Borrani wire wheels could be fitted.

The Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta was powered by a four-cam version of the 3.3-liter V-12. The 330 GTC and GTS had a four-liter, two-cam V-12 engine that offered 330 horsepower at 6600 RPM.

Wearing a design by Pininfarina, the 330 GTS was epitome of mid-1960s styling. It was a successful update of the 275GTS, with a new frontal treatment inspired by the 500 Superfast. Inside, the car had bucket seats trimmed in Connolly leather, a three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheels, and wood veneer fascia carrying the full range of white on black Veglia instruments.

Chassis 9343
Ferrari sent the chassis frame to Carrozzeria Pininfarina in Torino in October of 1966. It was finished in the color scheme of Celeste Blu with Rosso Scuro leather upholstery, matching carpets, and a black soft top. It was equipped with Borrani wire wheels, European lighting, instrumentation in kilometers, and a chromed front grille guard.

As completed, 9343 was the first 330 GTS built. It was given a certificate of origin issued on March 16th of 1967, and delivered new to official North American importer Luigi Chinetti motors in Greenwich, Connecticut. The first private owner was Dr. Samuel Scher of New York City.

When Dr. Scher's collection was dispersed in the late 1960s, the majority of his cars were sold to Maine-based collector Richard C. Paine Jr., and much of his parts and literature collection was donated to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

On September 16th of 1969, following a small engine bay fire - and having 20,000 miles on the odometer, the car was sold at a Motor Insurance Company auction in Bridgeboro, New Jersey. The engine fire was contained quickly and the damage is limited to the hood, the driver's side of the cowl, and the windscreen.

Soon after acquiring the Ferrari, the second owner gathered a collection of spare parts in the hopes of returning it to the road. However, the project did not get very far. For the past 44 years, the car has been parked in a Pennsylvania garage.

The car has spent many years in seclusion and is truly a long-lost time capsule. It still wears its factory original Celeste Blu paint and has a faint double pinstripe (red and dark blue) that runs the length of the body. It has the original Borrani RW4039 wire wheels and Dunlop SP tires, the interior is intact, and all of the factory-supplied glass, rubber, and major trim pieces are in place.

Instead of a wood-spoke steering wheel, the car is equipped with a later leather-wrapped steering wheel, presumably installed early on. The odometer current shows 36,717 km.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2014