1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Coupe Speciale

The Ferrari 250 Europa GT chassis was fitted with the Gioacchino Colombo-designed, short-stroke 3-liter V12 engine which was smaller and lighter than Ferrari's previous V12s. Pinin Farina designed four Speciale bodies on the 250 Europa GT chassis. This car was built for the gentleman racing driver Andre Dubonnet of Paris. He wanted the car for the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Pinin Farina worked closely with Dubonnet to design the all-aluminum body and it was first shown at the 1955 Paris Salon. Sadly, just before the Le Mans race in June, Dubonnet broke his foot and was unable to drive in the French endurance race; however, he went on to enjoy the car until he sold it in 1958. Five years later an American soldier discovered the car in Europe and, after modifying the body to suit his taste, he drove the car in Europe until he was ordered back to the United States. The car was sneakily covered in matte khaki paint and was hipped back to the United States disguised as a military vehicle. It sadly remained in this state for several years until it was eventually sold in 1980 and its next owner spent 10 years restoring the car. The car was added to the Rare Wheels Collection in 2018 and has now been returned to its original navy blue and tan interior as it was shown at the Paris Salon in 1955.