1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/4

Coupe
Chassis number: 06681
Engine number: 06681

The 275 series Ferraris were unveiled at the 1964 Paris Auto Show and it heralded the beginning on a new era of Ferrari road cars. The 275 GTB was given an aggressively styled new body designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. (The 275 GTS Spider was constructed by Pininfarina). Sergio Pininfarina drew inspiration for the 275 GTB design from Ferrari's world championship-winning 250 GTO endurance racer. It had a long-hood, short-tail profile, a higher belt and fender line and more rounded contours. The body rested on sophisticated underpinnings, incorporating the first independent rear suspension in a Ferrari for the road. It comprised a layout similar to the front end, with upper and lower A-arms, coil springs, Koni shock absorbers and a sway bar to control body roll.

Powering the 275 series Ferrari was the final development of the 'short block' V-12 engine designed by Gioacchino Colombo in 1947. It was mated to a five-speed gearbox which was relocated to the rear and integrated with the differential. The engine was move rearward to reduce polar movement, aiding in the increased cornering response. The engine offered 280 horsepower in the GTB, and was available with three Weber downdraft carburetors in standard form, with six as an option.

Up to this point, Ferrari cars were thinly disguised racers. The 275 GTB (Gran Turismo Berlinetta), however, was a true well-appointed Grand Tourer.

In 1965, a year after the debut of the 275 GTB, a second series was unveiled that featured a longer nose. This modification was intended to aid aerodynamic downforce at high speeds. The early short-nose Series I examples remain the rarest of all iterations of the 275 GTB non-competition cars, with approximately 250 examples built.

This particular example, chassis number 06681, is an early short-nose 275 GTB. It was sent to Scaglietti in Modena for bodywork in October of 1964. Assembly of the V-12 engine was completed in December. A few months later, the car was completed and outfitted as a U.S.-delivery example with instruments in miles. It was given Borrani wire wheels, three Weber carburetors, and a Cologne radio. Delivered new to Navy Auto in the United States by the spring of 1965 and later purchased by an individual named Coughlin. In 1972, it was acquired by Richard L. Haskell, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It would remain with Mr. Haskell for nearly two decades. By 1985, the record mileage was 31,472. When it was offered for sale four years later, it showed only 32,000 original miles.

By October 1994, the 275 had come into the care of Gary A. Stewart, of York, Pennsylvania. Still displaying just 33,000 miles, the car had recently been given a fresh repaint. Mr. Stewart undertook some restoration measures before selling the car in the late 1990s to Stephen Bartkiw, of Ocean Ridge, Florida. Mr. Bartkiw treated the car to a comprehensive restoration. In January of 2004, at the 13th annual Palm Beach Cavallino Classic, it was awarded a Platinum Award and the Coppa Bella Macchina Award. It repeated its performance a year later at the same event.

Acquired by the previous owner in 2009, the car was submitted for Ferrari Classiche later that year, later receiving its Red Book.

by Dan Vaughan

During the late 1950s, Ferraris road-oriented Berlinettas split in terms of design from their race cars. After the 250 short wheelbase Berlinetta, the dual-purpose road / race Ferrari seemed gone. This new distinction motivated Ferrari to manufacture more civil road cars having impressive specifications. The first example of this new trend was the 275 GTB.

The 275 GTB/GTS was debuted in October 1964 at the Paris Salon. It was designed by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti. The 275 GTB was based on the 250 GT Berlinetta Lusson and the 250 GTO. The GTS version drew styling from the 330 GT 2+2. Production continued through 1966.

The fastback Berlinetta coupe was the GTB series. This version was meant for driving on the road and at the track. The Open Spyder was the GTS series designed to replace the 250 California. This version was more comfortable and more suited for touring. Around 200 examples of the GTS were created during its two-year production.

Being light, powerful, and strikingly beautiful, the 275 was a very successful car for Ferrari. It sold well, with around 1000 examples made, and, as an afterthought, scored victories in endurance racing after the 250 LM was denied homologation.

By moving the transmission to the rear of the car, better weight distribution was achieved. The engine used was a Colombo-derived V-12 engine that produced 260 horsepower in the GTS and 280 horsepower in the GTB. With the GTB version, an option was given to the buyer to purchase the vehicle with three or six Weber carburetors.

In 1965, Ferrari created three examples of the 275 GTB for the purpose of endurance motorsport racing. The vehicles were dubbed the 275 GTB/C and outfitted with a lightweight aluminum body, air vents for the brakes, six carburetors, and a 320 horsepower engine, and a few other minor mechanical modifications.

In 1966 the 275 GTB was re-introduced with a four-cam version of the V12. Six Webber carburetors aided in delivering around 300 horsepower. To cope with the new power, the GTB/4 was given wider tires and a ZF limited-slip differential. The 4 in the name GTB/4 represented the twin camshafts per cylinder bank totaling four. This was the first quad-cam road-going Ferrari ever created. It was easily distinguished by its bulge in the hood. During its production run lasting until 1968, around 320 examples of the 275 GTB/4 were created.

The 275 P and P2 were purpose-built to Capture the World Championship and in the process beat Ford. The 275 P was powered by a 3.3-liter powerplant; a 4 and 4.4-liter version was also used. These mid-engined, open-topped cars were comprised of many of the same components as the road-going versions.

by Dan Vaughan