To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Abu Dhabi event, 30
November 2019.
Estimate:
$1,600,000 - $1,800,000
- Originally owned by Prince Abdallah Moulay, brother of the King
of Morocco
- The 189th of 200 examples built
- Beautiful and rare late-production example of Maranello's
celebrated open 275 variant
At the Paris Salon in October 1964, Ferrari introduced the 275
model line, consisting of a closed berlinetta and an open spider,
both of which were designed by Pininfarina. While the chassis and
engines for the two models were essentially identical, the
similarities ended there, as the berlinetta was completed by
preferred competition coachbuilder Scaglietti, and the more
luxuriously appointed spider was built at its designer's Grugliasco
factory.
The open car was completely different in appearance and proportions
to its closed sibling, though it was constructed of steel with
aluminium doors, bonnet, and trunk lid. Uncovered headlamps,
triple-louvered fenders, a tapered rear end, and standard Borrani
wire wheels were the spider's major physical identifiers, and those
features were eventually carried over to the 330 and 365 GTS
variants that followed. Only 200 examples of the 275 GTS were built
over an 18-month period of production, making the model far rarer
than the berlinetta. Prized by marque enthusiasts today as the
luxurious grand touring expression of the celebrated 3.3-litre
platform, the 275 GTS has evolved into one of the era's most
collectable open Ferraris.
Benefitting from an early 2000s restoration that included a
refinish in the original paint colour, as well as ownership by
royalty, this late-production 275 GTS is one of the finest examples
to be offered in recent memory. Chassis no. 08015 is the 189th
example built; it was assembled in July 1966 and finished in Verde
Pino Metalizzato paint, with an interior trimmed in cream leather.
The beautiful colour scheme was very significant, as the car was
ordered new by Prince Abdallah Moulay, the brother of King Hassan
II of Morocco. Green and white are the national colours of the
coastal kingdom in North Africa. Interestingly, King Hassan II also
received a 275 GTS at the same time.
Fitted with two additional fog lamps on the front bumper, the 275
GTS was dispatched to Morocco and registered on national plates
reading '3267-50'. The spider presumably led a life of relatively
pampered care, as Abdallah was an enthusiast of Italian sports
cars, also owning a Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II around this
time.
In the late 1960s, the Ferrari was sold to Rene Roux, a Frenchman
residing in Casablanca, though by the early 1970s the car was
exported to the United States. In late 1974 the GTS was offered by
a Florida-based dealer who placed advertisements in Road & Track
magazine and the Ferrari Club of America newsletter. Jim Sfetko of
Kansas City, Kansas, purchased the 275 in March 1975, and it
remained in the Sunflower State for at least six years. Offered by
a dealer in Kansas in late 1981, the spider was noted to have
undergone some restoration measures, including an engine freshening
and a repaint in red.
By mid-1987 the 275 GTS passed to the well-known partnership of
Rick Cole and Marty Yacoobian, who maintained an exotic car
brokerage in North Hollywood, California. By this point the
interior was retrimmed in black leather. Within a few months, the
car was acquired by Ed Jurist's Vintage Car Store, an equally
well-regarded dealership located in Nyack, New York, and the
odometer at that time displayed 47,300 kilometres.
In October 1988 the Ferrari was purchased at an auction in Monaco
by a German enthusiast, and within a couple of months, the car was
treated to a servicing at Auto Neuser in N�rnburg, West Germany.
Sold through a second public sale in Monaco in May 1989, the
Ferrari soon passed to the Garage de l'Athan�e in Paris, who in
turn sold the car to Paris-based attorney Marc Daubas in October
1992. Through the remainder of the 1990s, the fetching spider was
seen at several enthusiast events in France, including a Club
Ferrari France meeting at Mas du Clos in 1995 and the Ferrari
Historic Challenge at Dijon-Prenois in June 1998.
In 1999 the Ferrari began to undergo a series of freshening bouts,
commencing with a complete engine overhaul by Tissier of Garage
Supersport near Nemours, France, that included a new cooling system
and stainless-steel exhaust system. In 2001 the coachwork was
beautifully refinished in the original colour of Verde Pino
Metalizzato by Virginia Cars in Gron, France, and a year later,
Sellerie de l'Epee of Auxerre retrimmed the seats and door panels
in red leather, making for a distinctive and arresting colour
combination. When seen at the Garage Supersport in 2003, the car
had accrued 71,000 kilometres.
By late 2015 the spider was acquired by a respected French
collector who has continued to fastidiously maintain the car, and
the odometer currently displays approximately 93,000 kilometres
(57,788 miles), suggesting a life of steady but modest use through
the years.
This sensational 275 GTS continues to benefit from the 2001
refinish in the original paint colour and claims the unusual
distinction of having been owned by a member of the Alaouite
royalty. The car retains its original engine, but it should be
noted that it is fitted with a non-original gearbox of the correct
type.
Chassis no. 8015 is an exceptional 275 GTS with a fascinating story
and is surely appropriate for both driving and exhibition
opportunities. One of only 200 examples built, the rare GTS would
make a fantastic addition to any collection of Enzo-era
Ferraris.
Please note the temporary import symbol incorrectly references the
EU. It should reference the UAE.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ad19.