1966 Ferrari 275 GTS Spyder Convertible Coupe

The Ferrari 275 GTS was built from steel and given alloy doors, bonnets and boot lids. Mounted in front was the latest 3.3-liter version of Ferrari's well-proven Colombo V12 engine. Its redline was reached at 7000 RPMs and it offered 260 brake horsepower giving the vehicle a top speed in excess of 220 kilometers per hour.

The chassis (Tipo 563) had an suspension setup that was identical in both the front and rear. There were upper and lower wishbones and coil springs. Another important update was the new rear-mounted five-speed transaxle. This gave the occupant much improved interior space and it improved the balance and weight distribution of the vehicle. Four-wheel disc brakes provided the stopping power.

The production of the 275 GTS was brief, ending in early 1966, when it was replaced by the 330 GTS. In total, a mere 200 examples of the 275 GTS were created with many being sent to the United States.

This example is chassis number 07655 and was completed in July of 1965 and sent to the United States by Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut. Mr. Petrascoro of New Jersey became the cars first owner in August of 1966. In the 1980s, it was in the possession of Steve Saunders of Illinois. At this point in the cars history, it had been repainted red and fitted with a tan leather interior.

It was up for sale again in 1989. It now had a new beige top and its heads, clutch, and transaxle had been rebuilt. The odometer read just 19,000 miles. William Jacobs purchased the car in 1990 and kept it until the late 1990s and using it very sparingly.

The car is currently finished in Rosso Chiaro with a tan top, tan leather interior, and riding on Borrani wire wheels.

In 2009, this very rare car was offered for sale at the Automobiles of Amelia Island auction presented by RM Auctions. It was expected to sell for $425,000 - $500,000 and offered without reserve. The lot was sold for a high bid of $445,500, including buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009