For Sale at Auction: 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS in Amelia Island, Florida

Chassis No. 08303
Engine No. 08303 (internal no. 1104/64)
Body No. 175193

Unveiled alongside the 275 GTB at the 1964 Paris Salon, the 275 GTS arrived to fill the void left by the California Spider and to offer Ferrari's new 3.3-liter V12 platform in its most elegant, open-air form. While the Berlinetta leaned toward outright performance, Pininfarina gave the GTS a compact, harmonious shape that felt distinctly more elegant, subtly echoing the design of the contemporary 330 GT 2+2. Revealed wearing Borrani wire wheels, the Spider's clean lines and graceful proportions underscored its role as the most sophisticated member of the 275 family.

Inside, large adjustable seats delivered a more accommodating cockpit than the Berlinetta, reinforcing the GTS's grand touring brief. Best of all, with the top lowered, the sonorous pitch of Ferrari's Colombo V12 could be enjoyed to the fullest. Road & Track captured the model's appeal perfectly in its September 1966 test, headlining the article: "Those who like driving owe themselves at least one of these," and writing, "With the top down all the extraneous noises disappear and one simply exalts in the purr from those beautiful tail pipes. Pure ecstasy." Built in limited numbers-approximately a mere 200 examples-today the 275 GTS is revered as one of the most coveted Enzo-era open Ferraris among collectors.

The 275 GTS offered here, chassis 08303, has recently emerged from a decade-long, no-expense-spared restoration as a fully authenticated, matching-numbers example of Maranello's elegant V12 Spider. Research compiled by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini records that 08303 was completed in February 1966 and delivered new through Luigi Chinetti Motors of New York, and sold to its first owner, Mr. Scott Manley of New York, in May of that year. In a fascinating early chapter, Manley took delivery of the Ferrari directly at the factory in Maranello and used it to tour Italy during an extended visit, exactly the sort of grand touring the 275 GTS was designed to devour. After approximately six months of use, 08303 returned to the factory for routine maintenance. At that time, Manley requested a change from the factory-delivered Campagnolo magnesium wheels to classic Borrani wires, which were fitted before the car was shipped to the United States.

In 1980, the Ferrari sustained damage to the front-right fender and was placed into storage, not to resurface for 18 years. At some point during this period, former N.A.R.T. race team mechanic, Ferrari restorer, and gentleman driver Wayne Sparling removed the car's original engine (bearing internal number 1104/64) and installed it in a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso, chassis 4607 GT. By 1998, chassis 08303 was discovered in a Tennessee warehouse missing its original engine. In 2006, the car was exported from the United States to Italy and sold to Dr. Luciano Mancini of Pisa. In November 2012, Mancini sold 08303, still without its original engine, to the current owner.

A comprehensive restoration ensued in 2014, centered in Modena and guided by a total commitment to factory correctness. The chassis was first sent to Ferrari Classiche in Maranello for inspection and minor repairs, then received official Classiche stamps. The Pininfarina coachwork was entrusted to AB Auto Classiche in Soliera, Modena, where it was stripped to bare metal and restored to factory standards, then renewed in its original Rosso Cina by Carrozzeria Europa in Carpi and reassembled to concours standards. Interni Auto Maielli retrimmed the cabin from its original Nero (Black) to Beige leather using period-correct hide and stitching patterns, a change chosen to visually lighten the interior. Today the car rides on its Campagnolo magnesium ten-hole wheels with chrome three-ear knock offs. Officina Classiche di Eros Zanoletti carried out the full mechanical overhaul to Ferrari Classiche standards.

Crucially, the project culminated in the reunification of 08303 with its original engine. In February 2019, with the assistance of Marcel Massini, the original engine of 08303, still installed in 250 GT Lusso chassis 4607 GT, was recovered and returned to its rightful chassis, restoring the Ferrari to matching-numbers status. The decade-long process culminated in December 2024, when 08303 was issued Ferrari Classiche Red Book certification following its exhaustive restoration and engine reunification, confirming matching-numbers engine, chassis, and body as well as the adherence of all components to Ferrari's original specifications.

Now showing just 445 miles traveled since its exacting, decade-long restoration, chassis 08303 is undoubtedly one of the finest expressions of Ferrari's sought-after 275 GTS. Resplendent in its Rosso Cina and Beige leather livery and certified by Ferrari Classiche, 08303 is the sort of correct, beautifully detailed grand tourer that is equally at home on the show field or on the open road. Whether displayed at Cavallino Classic or an FCA National Meet, or exercised as intended on tours such as the Colorado Grand, Copperstate 1000, or the California Mille, 08303 promises to deliver lasting pride of ownership to its next caretaker.