Estimate: €800.000-€950.000

€797.500 Sold

280 bhp, 3,285 cc V-12 engine, five-speed manual transaxle, four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs and telescopic shocks, four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 2,400 mm (94.5 in.)

In addition to being a landmark among Ferrari automobiles, the 275 GTB’s coachwork, designed by Pininfarina and executed by Scaglietti, was a particularly effective, organic, aggressive design. Recognized as important when new, appreciation of its design has grown in the nearly fifty years since it first appeared, making the 275 GTB a very sought after berlinetta.

Technically the 275 GTB stands as a major step forward in Ferrari’s evolution with an unusual number of important new innovations and features:

• The Colombo engine reached the culmination of its development with the 3,285 cc 275, the final expression of nearly twenty years of continuous development, innovation, refinement and competition. Competition development continued on the 275 GTB and the power plant earned a reputation for reliability and power.

• The chassis was a dramatic departure from the prior twenty years of Ferrari development with fully independent suspension with coil springs and telescopic shock dampers employing location by double A-arms at all four corners.

• It incorporated Ferrari’s first rear-mounted transaxle in a production berlinetta, integrated neatly with the independent rear suspension, and provided near perfect weight distribution.

• Ferrari moved the engine back in the chassis into space previously occupied by the engine-mounted transmission, further improving weight distribution and reducing the polar moment of inertia.

Combining all of these important evolutions into a single new model would have been more than sufficient to ensure the 275 GTB’s place as an extremely important Ferrari. Its coachwork compounds the effect to make it universally appreciated.

• Pininfarina’s design draws from the shapely and elegant 250 GT/L Lusso, the spare and understated 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, and the aggressive, purposeful 250 GTO. All contribute cues, elements and themes. The combination is harmoniously effective and instantly recognisable.

• Each 275 GTB was individually built by hand at the Scaglietti shop, hammered out in the traditional fashion by Italian artisans. Each 275 GTB is subtly different and nearly infinite variations were possible, including alloy bodies built for competition.

With its sensuously shaped fenders, covered headlights, long hood, short fastback rear deck, small spoiler, cut-off Kamm tail, abbreviated bumpers flanking the wide, low oval air intake with its egg crate grille, strategically limited chrome and swept back body colour air extractor vents in the front fenders and roof sail panel the 275 GTB is all about purpose; the studied integration of form and function that look poised to leap into action at any moment. It literally has no “bad angle”. Even the door lines integrate with the sweeping expression of the 275 GTB’s design elements.

And that, in the final analysis, is what makes the 275 GTB one of the greatest Ferraris ever built: a sophisticated, powerful, competent high performance berlinetta that looks as good as it runs.

This 1966 275 GTB, chassis 08225, combines many of the most admired and sought after attributes of the 275 GTB. It was built late in the series, with the torque tube driveshaft and the superior aerodynamics and aesthetics of the long nose body. Furthermore it is an alloy bodied car, saving significant weight to get even more performance from the 275 engine.

It was completed in early 1966 and sold first to an owner in Spain identified only as Juncadella. It came to the United States some time in the early 1970s. In 1988 it was acquired by Ron Hein in Los Angeles who soon embarked upon a comprehensive restoration to the highest standards by some of the most highly regarded, meticulous craftsmen in the Los Angeles area.

The engine was rebuilt by Richie Vandewater, formerly the chief mechanic at Briggs Cunningham’s museum and the transaxle was rebuilt by Tiamo Motor Cars in Torrance, California. The body was completely disassembled by the highly qualified alloy body professionals at Kimmins Coachcraft in Torrance. They removed all the alloy body panels from their supporting structures, and then bead blasted and primed the underlying structure before the panels were reinstalled in the traditional fashion. Junior’s House of Color formulated the Giallo Fly colour and selected the painter Jerry Cain. The interior was re-trimmed by the well known Richard’s Interiors.

After its restoration, 08225 earned a succession of awards starting with a first place at the Newport Beach Concours in 1991, followed by a first at the FCA Monterey Concours in 1992 and another first at Santa Barbara in 1993.

It was acquired by Dr. Ronald W. Busuttil in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s who displayed it at Pebble Beach in 1997 where it was judged 98 points, and at the FCA Concours in Monterey in 1998 where it was awarded a Platinum Award and the Stan Nowak Memorial Award for Outstanding Ferrari GT. It took another Platinum at the Century Plaza FCA meet in 2002. A year later it earned Platinum at the Cavallino Concours at Concorso Italiano where it also was judged the Best V-12 Ferrari.

After being acquired a few years ago by its present owner it was once again awarded Platinum at the 2009 Cavallino Classic and won its class at the Classic Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago Concours the same weekend.

It is complete with its original Ferrari build sheet and alloy Cromodora wheels with tri-lobe nuts, Carello headlights, a full tool roll, original books and service manual in the correct leather wallet. The car was then shipped to the factory in Maranello where full certification was completed with no notes or remarks.

08225’s concours history and further certification under scrutiny of the best informed, most experienced Ferrari experts in the world speak volumes for the quality of its restoration and the continuous, meticulous, professional care and attention it has had. Recently driven by RM staff, the car performed flawlessly and RM’s experts were truly impressed with the high level of restoration and the sensation of speed and agility. It is today as if it had just come out of the restoration shop, despite the passage of well over a decade since the work was done.