Lot 115: 1969 Ferrari 365GTC Berlinetta
Coachwork by Pininfarina

‘Pininfarina clothed it all in a beautifully refined bodyshell employing the nose lines of the 500 Superfast and the tail treatment of the contemporary 275GTS. It was built at Grugliasco by Pininfarina themselves…’ - Hans Tanner & Doug Nye, Ferrari, 1984.

The 365’s immediate forerunner, to which it bore a close resemblance, was the 330GTC (in essence a closed version of the 275GTS) which had first been shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Beneath the 330GTC’s understated Pininfarina coachwork there was the 4.0-litre version of Ferrari’s familiar two-cam 60-degree V12 (as used in the 330GT 2+2) mated to a five-speed all-synchromesh transaxle. Suspension was independent all round by wishbones and coil springs and there were disc brakes on all four wheels. Introduced late in 1968 as a replacement for the 330GTC and given its first public airing at Geneva in March 1969, the 365GTC was identical in appearance apart from engine cooling vents relocated in the bonnet, a feature it shared with last of the 330s. Installing an 81mm-bore 4.4-litre V12 in place of the 300GTC’s 4.0-litre unit boosted mid-range torque and flexibility and raised maximum power to 320bhp at 6,600rpm; acceleration improved markedly and the luxury coupé’s top speed increased to over 150mph. Like so many European sportscars the 365GTC (and convertible 365GTS) would fall victim to increasingly stringent US safety and emissions legislation, production ceasing after less than one year during which time around 150 GTC and 20 GTS models left the factory.

Sold new via Crepaldi in Milan, chassis number ‘12291’ came to the Netherlands in 1979 and was first purchased by the vendor in 1981. Sold by him to the USA in 1982, it underwent extensive restoration there in the 1990s, subsequently covering only a relative handful of kilometres annually before being repurchased for the Collection in 2003. Included with the car is a quantity of invoices from official Ferrari service agent, Italauto (Kees van Stokkum) relating to servicing/maintenance undertaken since acquisition. Finished in red with black leather interior, ‘12291’ is offered with old New Jersey Certificate of Title, current Dutch registration papers and recently expired roadworthiness certificate (February 2007). A superb example.

Vendu neuf par Crepaldi de Milan, le châssis n° 12291 arriva aux Pays-Bas en 1979 avant d'être acquis une première fois par le Vendeur en 1981. Vendue par lui-même aux Etats-Unis en 1982, elle a bénéficié d'une restauration générale dans les années 1990 avant d'effectuer un certain kilométrage chaque année et d'être rachetée par la Collection en 2003. La voiture est présentée avec un certain nombre de factures établies par le représentant officiel de Ferrari, Italauto (Kees van Stokkum) et relatives aux travaux d'entretien/réparations entrepris depuis son acquisition. Peinte en rouge avec intérieur en cuir noir, « 12291 » possède son ancien titre de circulation américain du New Jersey, ses papiers d'immatriculation néerlandais actuels et un rapport de contrôle technique récemment périmé (février 2007). A superbe exemplaire.