Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 09657
Engine No. 09657
The 275 GTB emerged from Maranello as a Ferrari of revolutionary
firsts-the marque's first road-going model to feature both a rear
transaxle and independent rear suspension. With its voluptuous,
muscular form in GTB configuration, the 275 proved itself a worthy
successor to the beloved 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, marrying its
elegance with the unmistakable sporting stance of the 250 GTO.
While the model's ultimate iteration-the 275 GTB/4, unveiled at the
Paris Salon in October 1966-bore striking visual similarity to the
"long nose" 275 GTB that had debuted just twelve months prior at
the same venue, its more prominent hood bulge hinted at the
mechanical differences that lie beneath. In the new model,
Maranello furnished new proof of the benefits which competition
cars could give to its road-going gran turismos. This was most
apparent in the Tipo 226 engine, its four camshafts tracing direct
lineage to the 3.3 and 4.0-liter powerplants that propelled the 275
and 330 P2 sports prototypes through the 1965 racing season. Though
sharing fundamental dimensions with the 275 GTB's Tipo 213 V12,
this new engine featured completely revised cylinder heads fitted
with twin camshafts per bank, operating valves through direct
actuation rather than traditional rocker arms. Dry sump
lubrication, borrowed from the 275 GTB Competizione, ensured
consistent oil supply under hard cornering conditions.
These mechanical upgrades culminated in a twenty-horsepower
increase-from 276 to 296 horsepower-though more significant was the
substantial torque improvement delivered by six Weber 40 DCN
carburetors, previously available only as an option on the 275 GTB.
Pininfarina's sublime design provided the perfect sculptural
envelope for this enhanced mechanical package, carrying forward
virtually intact save for its enlarged hood bulge necessitated by
the enlarged carburetor air cleaner. This fusion of race-bred
engineering and timeless Pininfarina design created what many
consider one of Maranello's most beautiful and mechanically
sophisticated achievements. Formula One driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise
writing in l'Auto-Journal declared without reservation that "The
275 GTB/4 is one of the greatest automobiles created in our times,"
while Road & Track, in their review of the limited 275 GTS/4 NART
Spider, simply titled their article "The most satisfying sports car
in the world."
This particular example, chassis number 09657, belongs to the
exclusive cohort of just 330 GTB/4s produced between 1966 and 1968,
a brief production run caused in large part by the progressive
closing of the American market to cars that failed to conform to
emerging safety and emissions regulations that would fundamentally
reshape Ferrari's lineup by 1970. It was completed at the Maranello
factory on 2 March 1967 in Rosso Chiaro (Light Red) paintwork over
Beige Connolly leather, with its production comprehensively
documented by copies of factory build sheets sourced by Ferrari
historian Marcel Massini. Chassis 09657 was delivered nine days
later to the official Ferrari dealer Motor S.a.s. di Carla
Allegretti e C. in Rome, where it was subsequently purchased by its
first private owner, Bernardo Valenzi, a Roman resident who paid
6,500,000 Italian Lire for the privilege. Registered on Roman
plates "Roma A 47434," Massini's research shows that the car was
serviced by the Assistenza Clienti facility in Modena on two
occasions in June and November of 1967.
During the 1970s, the car was sold to a new owner in France, and
like so many Italian exotics of the era, this GTB/4 underwent
extensive customization reflecting the aesthetic preferences of the
decade. The modifications included a T-top roof with removable
panels, aggressive front spoilers and prominent air outlets grafted
onto the front fenders, added louvers appeared behind the side
windows, and flared wheel arches accommodated wider rubber.
Following these alterations, chassis 09657 was exported to the
United States where it was registered with California plates "530
SIY" by the late 1970s. After being offered for sale for several
years out of San Diego, the car sold to England in 1981 where it
appeared at Ferrari Owners Club U.K. meetings at Honington Hall and
Donington Park-images of which are on file. Images sourced by
Massini also show that the car appeared at the N�rburgring
Nordschleife in Germany later that same year, by then wearing
Scuderia Ferrari fender shields and dealer plates.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the car continued to pass through
various hands across multiple continents-first to Sanders Van der
Velden of Tilburg, Holland in 1981, then to Harry Bytzek-a
well-known Canadian sports car racer-of Ontario, Canada in 1982,
before eventually returning to the United States by 1994. This
culminated in a Hong Kong collector purchasing the Ferrari in 1995,
who reportedly commissioned a partial restoration in the U.S. which
saw the interior reupholstered and some of its modifications
reversed-namely its T-top roof and the reinstatement of its front
and rear bumpers. By the early 2000s, chassis 09657 had entered the
famous Blackhawk Collection in Danville, California, and was later
sold to William Jacobs of Joliet, Illinois, in 2004. After enjoying
the berlinetta for a couple of years, Jacobs elected to conduct a
ground-up restoration, undoing decades of modifications and
restoring the pure Pininfarina design language.
The project was undertaken by Legendary Motorcar Company Ltd. of
Ontario, Canada, from 2006 to 2007, which saw the car renewed in a
lovely period-correct Giallo Fly (Fly Yellow) livery with a black
leather interior, air conditioning, and Borrani wire wheels. The
French modifications including the additional rear quarter louvers,
flared wheel arches, hood air intake, improper door handles, and
outside fuel filler cap were all carefully returned to factory
specifications. It was revealed during the restoration that beneath
its surface-level modifications, the Ferrari had retained an
impressive level of integrity and originality, including its
original matching-numbers Tipo 226 V12 engine (no. 09657, internal
no. 1526) per Massini's research. The car remained in the Jacobs
family collection for nearly 17 years prior to joining the current
caretaker.
Today, the restoration has aged spectacularly well since its
completion and now offers its next fortunate owner the chance to
experience firsthand why the 275 GTB/4 was and continues to be
regarded as one of the most beautiful and mechanically accomplished
expressions of the Ferrari gran turismo ever built. Accompanied by
a jack and 275 GTB/4 literature, chassis 09657 is ideally prepared
for further touring enjoyment or presentation at Ferrari Club of
America gatherings and concours d'elegance.
