Two years ago, in a rather sunny January 2018, yours truly had its first encounter with the Italian capital city of Rome. While there, I couldn’t pass the opportunity to visit the Museo delle Auto della Polizia di Stato in addition to tourist spots like the Fontana di Trevi and antique masterpieces such as the Flavian Amphitheatre – a.k.a. the Colosseum.
If you’re living and breathing cars, the police’s museum is a must-see considering how easy it’s to use public transportation in Rome. In addition to old-school Alfas and modern supercars like the Gallardo, you’re also treated to many motorcycles such as the Moto Guzzi 850 T3.
A police car that I knew about yet didn’t see there is the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2. Only two Polizia models were made, and the sole survivor is chassis number 3999 GT in the photo gallery and Petrolicious video at the end of the article. In addition to being the first series-production Ferrari with four seats, the 250 GTE 2+2 shared bits with the 250 GT LWB Tour de France.
At one point, police marshal Armando Spadafora drove 3999 GT down the Spanish Stairs between the Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Trinita dei Monti while chasing a baddie in a Citroen with hydropneumatic suspension. Underbody damage is still visible to this day, a testament to this car’s tumultuous first years of existence.
Originally delivered in December 1962 and kept in service until 1968, the Prancing Horse still reads “Squadra Mobile” and “Tel. 555.555” on the doors. The police decided to retire 3999 GT in '68, then the car was auctioned for one million lire to Alberto Cappelli in the early 1970s.
Offered for sale by Girardo & Co. in London, chassis number 3999 GT features an “undisputed identity and originality,” coming with fully matching numbers for the engine and transmission as well as a certification by Ferrari Classiche. No price is listed on the dealer’s website, but still, do expect to pay top dollar for the most famous 250 GTE 2+2 out there.
On an ending note, care to guess what happened to chassis number 3363 GT? It was November 1962 when the two black-painted models were delivered to Rome’s police force for testing, and during testing, 3363 GT was crashed beyond repair.
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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