Lot 289: 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/2 - 6

It seems almost herasy to say so but during the 1960s, as Ferrari grew in strength as a maker of road cars, so much of the styling provided by Pininfarina seemed to lack flair. The bodies were pretty and balanced, but they were like some of the studio paintings produced during the Italian Renaissance when the master artist was absent. They were perhaps too pretty because no matter how dainty the bonnet line, beneath the skin the engines derived from Grand Prix cars and chassis related to cars which had won the toughest endurance races.Perhaps the reason is that during the 1960s the relationship between racing and road cars became more distant. At the beginning of the '60s great cars such as the short wheelbase 250 GT won major races but it was not long before what appeared at Le Mans and what appeared on the road were worlds apart in both fact and essence.There are exceptions to this broad rule, none more noticeable than the 275 GTB which squats on its hunkers, raring to go. It is a car with presence.For most enthusiasts the ideal Ferrari is the one that is most like their racing cars and yet practical enough to drive on public roads. With this in mind the company produced from its earliest days sporting 'berlinetta' that fulfiled such criteria, which included the famous 250 SWB and GTO models. With the demise of these, the company was left with nothing in the way of a top-level customer car, the sort of performance flagship that could be used as easily for regular transport as it could for serious competition. Thus began an intensive programme to create a worthy successor to the legendary 250 series.The sensational new 275 GTB made it's debut at the 1964 Paris Motor Show, and was the first Maranello product to be equipped with independent rear suspension and a 5 speed gearbox, the latter unified with the rear axle to allow better weight distribution. The engine was still basically a Colombo design, with a bore and stroke of 77 x 58.8mm, giving a capacity of 3285cc. The factory had tested this unit in the 275P and 250LM racing cars, and it was now producing between 280 and 300bhp. The bodywork was largely reminiscent of the 250 GTO, with a few developments for road use, and was built by Scaglietti. The 275 GTB proved itself to be a formidable car indeed, and was rewarded by success both on the track and in terms of sales figures.It was the only 'dual-purpose' machine worthy of the name which Ferrari originated during the mid-1960s and, as such, it occupies an important place in the marque's history. This fabulous car was originally ordered by renowned distributors, Maranello Concessionaires Ltd in Silver (code 106.E.1) with Black trim (code VM 8500) for a Mr. Peter Mitchell Esq of 30 Cornwall Gardens, London, SW7 who was in fact an Australian Gentleman, this is all shown on the copies of the original order sheets, build sheets and correspondence with Maranello which are supplied with the car. Mr. Mitchell covered very little mileage in the car before he returned to Maranello and bought another Ferrari for which he put 7413 in part exchange. Maranellos then sold the car to I. Page Ratcliff Esq. of R.S Mead Ltd, Meadway, Market Street, Maidenhead, Berks for which there is correspondence and invoice/payment details for in the file also. The car later passed on to C. Armstrong of Gwynedd and to a Mr. RJ Bostock before being sent to well known and respected marque specialists, Moto Tecnique who carried a considerable amount of restoration on the car at a cost of £63,000. The car then received a comprehensive engine rebuild by Terry Hoyle, after which it won its class at the Ferrari Owners Club Concours at Cottesbrook Hall.In 2000 the car was purchased by a Hong Kong based collector, until now 7413 has resided with the rest of his extremely significant and important collection in the USA. Being a right hand drive car this rare 6-carburettor short-nose has been shipped from America for today's sale.Worthy of note is that this car is importantly pre-65 and therefore is eligible for the most exclusive and important events currently staged in historic racing to include Le Mans Classic, Targa Florio, Tour Espana and Goodwood to name but a few.Resplendent in its original colour scheme and presented in the finest condition, and supplied with some very interesting literature, this is an opportunity not to be missed.Refer Department