1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe

The new 250 GT Coupe that Ferrari displayed at the 1958 Paris Motor Show wore coachwork by Pinin Farina, replacing the previous Boano- and Ellena-built cars of years previous. Three hundred fifty-three examples were built between 1958 and 1960, making it the marque's best-selling product. It was the definitive Italian grand tourer of the late 1950s, offering style, comfort, and performance.

Beneath the bonnet was a 3.0-liter Colombo 'inside-plug' V-12 engine offering 240 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and topped with a trio of twin-choke Weber carburetors. This motorsport-bred engine provided the coupe with a top speed of nearly 150 mph, and zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in seven seconds.

This particular 250 GT Coupe by Pinin Farina is the 168th example constructed. It was completed in the summer of 1959 and wore a Bianco finish over Blu similpelle (leatherette) and Connolly leather upholstery. A U.S.-destined example, its first owner was legendary racing driver and Ferrari dealer John von Neumann of Los Angeles. A few months later, it was sold to an unknown buyer that same year. The car would pass through a series of owners over the next two decades before being acquired by Chicago-area resident Charles Klingler in 1975. Mr. Klingler periodically used it as a daily driver before taking the car apart with the intention of conducting a full restoration. The work remained incomplete when it was purchased by its current owner in 2012.

Skip McCabe of McCabe Automotive Restoration in Mundelein, Illinois, was commissioned to perform a full, concours-level restoration. John Hajduk of Motor Kraft in Noblesville, Indiana, fully disassembled and rebuilt the engine using parts purchased directly from GTO Engineering of Berkshire, United Kingdom. Its exterior was given the Ferrari color of Blu Genziana (MM 16229), while correct tan leather hides were sourced from HVL Class Leather in the Netherlands.

The restoration was completed in 2019, and with Ferrari Cavallino judging and minor adjustments, the car was brought to Ferrari Club of America platinum-level standards. Over $330,000 was invested in achieving this level of detail. Only test mileage has been applied to the car's odometer since the concours-quality restoration was completed.

This Ferrari 250 GT Coupe is one of only a handful of examples to receive a Lucas ignition system rather than the typical Magneti Marelli unit.

This Ferrari was shown at the 2019 Ferrari Club of America National Concours in Scottsdale, Arizona, as well as the 2020 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach, Florida.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2024