To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' London event, 24 October
2019.
Estimate:
£325,000 - £375,000
- Recent full restoration, including engine rebuild by GTO
Engineering with invoices totalling over £85,000
- Retains its original engine
- Italian-delivery example
- Ferrari Classiche Certification in progress
Ferrari's 250 GTE, the marque's first production 2+2, was first
seen by the public at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans�not as an entry,
but as the course marshal's car. Ferrari had of course produced
several special-order 2+2s at this point in conjunction with
coachbuilders like Ghia, Touring, and Vignale for demanding
clients, but this would be the first available to Ferrari's usual
clientele.
Six months later, the model was formally introduced at the Paris
Salon, and this was a big moment for Ferrari. It represented
Ferrari's ever-increasing attention to their road car division as
the company's first four-seater. Importantly, the 250 GTE shared
the same wheelbase as the legendary 250 GT LWB Tour de France and
was equipped with a similar Colombo V-12. It was capable of a top
speed of just over 150 mph, proving to more traditional Ferrari
clients that performance would never be compromised in a car from
Maranello.
In order to make the car comfortable for four people, Ferrari's
engineers had to make several changes to the existing 250 platform,
which included moving the car's engine forward on the chassis and
widening the track of all four wheels. This made the 250 GTE much
more comfortable for those sitting in the back, as well as for
those sitting in the front. With coachwork designed by Pininfarina,
the 250 GTE's design was not only that of stately elegance, but it
was also instantly recognisable as a Ferrari. Ferrari produced 954
examples and three slightly different model variants over its four
years of production.
Produced in November of 1961, this 250 GTE was born as a Series I
example, finished in Blu Dauphine (12252 MM) over a Panno Rosso
Peugeot interior. Although little is known of chassis no. 2947's
early history, it is believed to have been sold to a customer in
Southern Italy. It did not remain in its native Italy for long, and
at some point it was shipped to the U.S.
A previous U.S. title from the state of New Mexico shows that the
car was registered there under the ownership of Francisco C
Lombardo VII of McIntosh, New Mexico, in 1978. The car appears to
have remained with him for some time and was exported in October of
2008 to the UK and purchased by the current owner in December of
that same year.
At this point, the car was in running condition and bought as a
rolling project. Upon being stripped to bare metal, the bodywork
was found to be largely sound thanks to its time in New Mexico's
dry climate, although some work was required around the nose and
the floors. A full restoration was commissioned between Quest
restorations who carried out paint and bodywork and more recently
Classic Performance Engineering at Bicester Heritage. Final
assembly was completed in July of this year and there are many
bills and receipts for this work. In addition, the original engine
was shipped to GTO Engineering and fully rebuilt from 2016-2018,
with invoices on file totalling to over £85,000.
Freshly restored and presented in its stunning original colour
scheme, this is a 250 GTE to cherish. To view this car and others
currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf19.