Lot 125: Ferrari 275 GTS Spyder

Une des 200 Ferrari 275 GTS produites en tout, construite sur le ch�ssis n� 07627 et achev�e en ao�t 1965, elle fut livr�e par l'agent Ferrari � Garage La Rotonda � de Renato Noventini de Prato-Florence � son premier propri�taire, Salvatore Le Pira de Catane (Sicile) qui l'immatricula � son nom sous le num�ro � CT 135720 �. Elle fut r�vis�e par l'usine le 11 juillet 1966. Dans les ann�es 1970, elle partit en Am�rique et, en mai 1981, elle devint la propri�t� de Stephen White de Falls Church (Virginie) qui garda la voiture jusqu'en 1985. Les actuels propri�taires, l'achet�rent en 1989. Depuis vingt ans, elle a tr�s peu roul� et, il y a environ 10 ans, elle a �t� repeinte dans sa livr�e noire, tandis que son int�rieur �tait refait en cuir rouge � passepoil noir, la capote �tant �galement r�nov�e � cette occasion. Elle se pr�sente en bon �tat g�n�ral. Du point de vue structurel et m�canique, elle appara�t correcte et saine, mais elle est majoritairement dans son �tat d'origine et n'a jamais �t� restaur�e. Le compartiment moteur avoue son �ge et son usage. Vendue en Europe aux ench�res, elle est passible des taxes douani�res et fiscales applicables localement. Sans prix de r�serve. There had been open-top Ferrari road cars before the advent of the '250' series, but it was, chiefly, Pininfarina's offerings on the latter chassis that established the convertible as a fixture of the Ferrari range. After the experimentation and variety which characterised the coachwork of the 250-series cars, the arrival of the '275' in 1964 brought with it standard bodywork, that of the 275GTS being manufactured by Pininfarina themselves. In Ferrari nomenclature of the period a model's designation reflected an individual cylinder's cubic capacity, so the newcomer displaced 3.3 litres, up from its predecessor's 3.0 litres. In standard trim the GTS's Columbo-type, 60-degree, V12 engine produced 260bhp at 7,000rpm, some 20 horsepower fewer than when installed in the contemporary 275GTB. The chassis followed Ferrari's established practice, being a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, and for the first time on a road-going Ferrari there was independent rear suspension, the latter employing a double wishbone and coil-spring arrangement similar to that of the 250LM sports-racer. The adoption of a rear-mounted five-speed transaxle combining the now all-synchromesh gearbox and differential in a single unit helped improve weight distribution, and this feature would characterise future generations of front-engined Ferrari road cars. Produced between 1964 and 1966, the 275GTS altered little during the course of its short life, apart from the adoption of constant velocity joints for the open prop shaft shortly after the commencement of production. By the mid 1960s Ferrari's road cars were beginning to lose some of their rougher edges and take on a more luxurious mien, and the 275GTS interior is notable for its generously sized seats and wood veneer dashboard, the latter appearing for the first time in a Ferrari. Even the most sybaritic of customers, though, would acknowledge that the driving experience is the raison d'�tre of Ferrari ownership, and in this respect the 275GTS had lost none of its predecessors' aggressive charm. Car & Driver magazine had this to say: 'Since the engine is heir to a V12 tradition that's gone on for almost twenty years, it's only natural that it should be the dominating factor in the car's personality, and that the whole car should have been developed around the engine and its own unique character. You can feel it as much as you can hear it. It has a taut, powerful rush of response that comes to you through the seat of your pants, through the steering wheel rim. The instant the clutch is engaged, the chassis takes on life and begins to move as a unit with the engine, it's an all-in-one-piece sensation that you normally feel only in racing cars, one that's unique to the Ferrari among normal passenger vehicles today.' One of only 200 275GTS models made, chassis number 07627 was completed in August 1965 and was delivered through Ferrari agent Renato Nocentini's Garage La Rotonda in Prato-Florence. The first owner was Salvatore Le Pira of Catania, Sicily, to whom it was registered there on the local plate 'CT 135720'. It is noted as having been serviced by the factory on July 11th, 1966. In the 1970s, the car left Italy for America, and by May 1981 it was the property of Stephen White of Falls Church, Virginia, who is known to have kept the car until 1985. The current owners purchased the Ferrari in 1989. Over the course of the last twenty years the car has seen only modest use and roughly 10 years ago received a repaint of its black livery and refurbishment of the interior in red leather piped in black, the soft top was also replaced at this time. On inspection, the car has a good presentation cosmetically. Structurally and mechanically it can be described as clean and appears to be sound, but is largely original and has clearly not been restored. Its engine bay showing some age/wear. The car returns to Europe for the auction and so local import duties will apply.