1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano Coupe

The 250 Europea GT was Ferrari's first true production model and made its debut at the 1954 Paris Motor Show. The bodies were built by Pinin Farina who quickly found themselves struggling to keep up with orders. To alleviate the pressure on Pinin Farina, Ferrari looked to Carrozzeria Boano to construct the bodies instead, as they had the larger facilities to series-produced an automobile. Over the next few years, Carrozzeria Boano crafted more than five dozen 250 GTs. The designs were essentially the look that Pinin Farina had already established. Both steel- and aluminum-bodied 250 GT Boanos were produced.

This particular example, chassis number 0435 GT, is a unique Pinin Farina prototype. The coachwork was completed by Pinin Farina. It is the fourth of nine 250 GT prototypes that wore coachwork by Pinin Farina, after which Boano began production and completed the remainder of the series. The car was sold new to its original owner, Loris Cantelli, of Novara, Italy, in April 1956 and was subsequently relocated to Switzerland in 1960. There, the car was owned by Paul Blancpain. It was later sold to Mr. Messerli. Mr. Messerli was later involved in a tragic accident with the car in which a child was killed. It was subsequently rebuilt and sold to a Mr. Oberson, of Bulle, Switzerland, who had the car fully and properly restored, including a new color scheme of red with a black interior.

In April of 1990, the car was displayed by Oberson at the Club Ferrari Suisse's anniversary meeting in Montreux, Switzerland. By the beginning of the 21st century, the car was listed for sale by Tiziano Carugati in Geneva before being sold in 2006 to Daniel Patric Brooks in the United Kingdom. In 2007, it underwent a complete restoration of the body. At this time, the car was refinished in its present sporting livery of Metallic Grey. The body restoration was completed in March 2008, after which the car was driven by Brooks in the 2008 Tour Auto. It was subsequently offered for sale and acquired by its present caretaker.

The car is finished in grey metallic paintwork over a black leather interior.

By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2015