Enzo Ferrari built his first Ferrari-branded cars for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to dominate on the racetrack. Secondly, the big kahuna couldn’t sustain his motorsport ambitions without selling road-going cars.
The 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe of 1958 is considered the first series-production Ferrari ever. It was preceded by the 250 GT Coupe of 1955, which is an extremely rare breed produced by three Italian coachbuilders.
Finished in October 1959, chassis number 1657 was a Pinin Farina-bodied coupe for the first decades of its existence. Imported to the United Kingdom in a disassembled state in the late 1980s, the ultra-collectible grand tourer was acquired by a Swedish gentleman in 1994 with one specific purpose.
He commissioned Carrozzeria Auto Sport of Bastiglia to dress up chassis number 1657 with alloy coachwork, replicating that of a long-wheelbase 250 GT Berlinetta Tour de France. Completed in 1996, the marvelous-looking machine was initially finished in blue with yellow stripes. Later painted in red, the replicar had its engine replaced with a 3.0-liter V12 sourced from chassis number 1549. Gifted with dual-throat carburetors topped by an isolator pan, the naturally-aspirated powerplant was last serviced in 2021.
In addition to fresh oil, a valve adjustment was performed, and the electric fuel pump was rebuilt for extra peace of mind. A cosmetic freshening also needs to be mentioned, joined by the zinc plating of several ancillaries. The V12 drives the rear wheels through a four-speed manual that boasts a Laycock de Normanville overdrive unit sourced from a 250 GTE. Between 2003 and 2004, the rear end was rebuilt by California’s Patrick Ottis Co.
Offered with a 2006-dated FIA Historic Technical Passport, a plethora of invoices, many pictures, and various other documents, this one-of-one replicar was acquired by the selling dealer in August 2021. This amazing Tour de France-style 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe is presently rocking a high bid of $625,000 on Bring a Trailer, with six days of bidding left to go.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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