For Sale at Auction: 1959 Ferrari 250 in Amelia Island, Florida

Chassis No. 1457GT
Engine No. 1457GT (internal no. 0488 D)
Body No. 191

The 1950s proved a milestone decade in the history of Ferrari, as it marked the beginning of the hugely successful 250 GT lineage. Until then, the Maranello firm had been building approximately 35-40 road cars per year. By the time the 250 GT's production run concluded in 1964, annual production of Ferrari Gran Turismos had risen to nearly twenty times the firm's output just a decade earlier.

Undoubtedly, much of that growth can be traced to the 250 GT's success, beginning with the 250 GT Europa of 1954. So successful was the new model that Pinin Farina was unable to keep up with the demand, initially tapping coachbuilders Ellena and Boano to body the newly renamed 250 GT Coupe from 1955. By the end of 1957, Pinin Farina's new, uniform design for the 250 GT Coupe was advancing through the prototype stage. The fresh design was first previewed at a press event in Milan in mid-1958, introducing a lower, horizontal waistline for increased window area, a large rectangular grille, and recessed headlights. The refined new Coupe was officially unveiled later that year at the Paris Salon, carrying a lofty purchase price of 5,500,000 Italian Lira, or approximately $9,000-the same price as a 250 GT California Spider or 250 GT Berlinetta when new!

Production of the 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe continued for three years and totaled 353 examples. Period road testers proclaimed their admiration for the car, none more notably than Road & Track's June 1960 review, in which Ferrari Formula One driver Phil Hill served as test driver. The magazine was effusive, remarking, "We could ramble on for pages and pages about the Ferrari; it's that kind of car. And it's difficult to express our feelings for this car without resorting completely to superlatives...This car was designed by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, and it shows."

According to research conducted by noted Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, the example offered here is the 191st of the 353 Pinin Farina Coupes built, completed in September 1959. As such, it is distinguished as an early "Series I" example, differentiated by its "inside plug" Tipo 128D Colombo V12. Chassis 1457GT was dispatched to famed West Coast importer and racing driver John Von Neumann, who is often credited with persuading Ferrari to produce the now legendary 250 GT California Spider. 1457GT was sold through Neumann's dealership in Hollywood to its first owner, William Dick, who likely enjoyed the tourer along Southern California's scenic boulevards.

By 1966, the Coupe was offered for sale by John Delamater in Indianapolis, appearing for sale again in 1980 before passing to Edward A. Weschler Jr. of Nashotah, Illinois. Massini's research shows that the Ferrari appeared at the 22nd Annual Ferrari Club of America National Meet held at Watkins Glen in 1985, later surfacing in 1989 in California. A period photograph shows the Coupe later that year-then finished in red over a beige interior-in the hills of Geneva, Switzerland, where it sold in 1990.

In 2004, chassis 1457GT entered the Florida-based collection of Mr. Wellington Morton, where it has been cherished and carefully maintained ever since. In recent years, the car was refinished to its current, period-correct two-tone presentation with a red lower body and ivory top, paired with its beige leather interior. Complementing its cosmetic presentation, 1475GT was fully serviced in preparation for the sale by Rosso Corsa in Jupiter, Florida.

Whether traversing coastal highways or challenging mountain passes, the Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe offered the ultimate Ferrari touring experience during the revered 250 GT era. With its Colombo V12, limited production, exquisite styling, and performance that rivals modern machinery, this 250 GT would make a fine addition to any collection of Maranello's most celebrated Gran Turismos.