1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

Sold for $2,205,000 at 2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey.
The simple, elegant lines of the Lusso are thought by many to be the most attractive ever to grace a Ferrari. It also marks Ferrari's first serious attempt to improve comfort and reliability in their road cars. A thermostat-controlled radiator fan reduced the chances of overheating in traffic and the heater-defroster was actually effective in winter thanks to a manually-controlled radiator blind that induced a higher water temperature. Comfort touches included pleated seats and a padded instrument panel. The car is powered by a 2953cc SOHC Colombo V12 engine with aluminum block and heads, with three twin-choke Weber carburetors and develops 240 horsepower. The 2700-pound vehicle rides on a 94.5-inch wheelbase and had a factory price of $12,950. Model production reached 350 units.

Sold for $2,205,000 at 2022 RM Sothebys : Monterey.
The Tipo 168 U engine powering the Lusso had a three-liter displacement size, a short block, outside-plug ignition, and single-cylinder porting. The chassis used Koni shock absorbers all round with a rear Watts linkage and four-wheel disc brakes. The coachwork, designed by Pininfarina and executed by Scaglietti, incorporated an 'egg-crate' grille, curved fenders, flowing proportions, generous glasswork, and a Kamm tail atop the fastback rear end. Production was exclusive with just 350 examples built between 1962 and 1964.

This particular example has been Certified by Ferrari Classiche and is the 133rd example built. it was completed in October of 1963 and wore a Rosso Duco exterior with the interior trimmed with Nero Vaumol leather by Connolly. It was a European-specific model with its instrumentation in kilometers. The car was sold to an unknown Italian owner and distributed by Garage Fontanella & Co, the official marque dealer in Turin. Before the end of the 1960s, the car had been exported to the United States and its coachwork had been repainted metallic silver/grey. P. Paul Pappalardo of Batavia, New York, purchased the Lusso in 1970 and sold it in 1973 to Jack Hughes of Kingston, Ontario who commissioned a repaint in metallic light blue. Around 1981, the Ferrari was sold to J. MacGeorge Snyder of Shoreham, Vermont who kept it for over a decade.

In 1996 Mr. Snyder sold the Ferrari to Robert Brown, also of Vermont. Mr. Brown displayed the Ferrari at the 33rd Annual Ferrari Club of America National Meeting at Watkins Glen, New York, in August 1996.

Peter Hosmer of New Hampshire purchased the car from Mr. Brown in 1998, keeping it for about a year before selling it in May 1999 to Harry Matthews of Golden, Colorado. Mr. Matthews exhibited the Lusso at the FCA National Meeting in Broadmoor and Colorado Springs in July 2000. Later that year, the car was sold to Glenn Farrell of Maine. In May of 2004, it was shown at the Tutto Italiano meeting at the Larz Andersen Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. In August 2007, the car was exhibited at the FCA National Meeting and Concours d'Elegance at Watkins Glen, winning a Gold Award.

George Bunting of Monkton, Maryland, acquired the car in October 2008. Paul Russell & Company of Essex, Massachusetts, was commissioned to service the 3-carburetor intake configuration, and refinish the exterior in the current color of deep blue. After applying for Ferrari Classiche certification, a Red Book was issued in April 2011.

This vehicle has its matching-number chassis, gearbox, engine, and coachwork. The brakes and suspension are of the correct specification, and the rear axle has been replaced with the correct Tipo 539 U component (number 127). The wheels have been upgraded to slightly wider Borrani wire wheels.

The car was shown at the BHA Automobile Museum, the 2015 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, and the Vintage Ferrari All Italian Car Event staged by the Radcliffe Motor Car Company in Reisterstown, Maryland.

The current caretaker acquired the Ferrari in January 2019.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2022