Collectible doesn’t even begin to describe the 250 GTO, which numbers only 36 examples of the breed. Chassis number 3757GT is arguably the most recognizable of the lot because it’s owned, displayed, and driven like nobody’s business from time to time by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.
Now 77 years old, the rock legend purchased the race-ready Ferrari in 1978 for approximately 35,000 pounds sterling with the royalties he made from Dark Side of the Moon. The eighth album released by Pink Floyd remained on the Billboard album chart for 736 weeks from 1973 to 1988, and Dark Side has also outperformed top sellers from The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.
During the 1987 tour for A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the drummer offered his 250 GTO as a payment guarantee to ensure that Pink Floyd had enough money for concerts in Europe and America. Looking at the bigger picture, the Italian thoroughbred has served Nick very well over the years.
Valued at more than 40 million pounds sterling or $55,413,160 at the current exchange rates, chassis number 3757GT is Mason’s alone to drive. Brian Johnson of AC/DC kindly asks if he can get behind the wheel, but Nick doesn’t budge one inch. After all, insuring the 250 GTO for a different driver for a single day would cost him tens of thousands of pounds sterling.
Alas, the man responsible for the lyrics of Back in Black had to enjoy a ride in the passenger seat. The visceral sound of the V12 engine that enters the cabin, the lack of creature comforts, the gated shifter of the five-speed transmission, everything screams race car about this homologation special.
Initially developed by Giotto Bizzarrini, the legendary engineer who designed the Lamborghini V12 engine employed from 1963 to 2011, the 250 GTO was furthered by Mauro Forghieri and Italian coachbuilder Scaglietti. Consistently competitive in the first part of the 1960s, Scuderia Ferrari withdrew the 250 GTO from racing by the start of the 1965 season.
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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