1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4

In a 1967 road test of the 275 GTB/4 for the French magazine l’Auto-Journal, French Grand Prix driver Jean-Pierre Beltoise covered 46 miles in 23 minutes in Sunday traffic. This feat included time to stop at tollbooths and it was accomplished “in complete safety and comfort, without once having to use the brakes hard, and while carrying on a normal conversation with my passenger…”

Enzo Ferrari might have lost out to arch-rival Ferruccio Lamborghini in the race to build a four-cam V12, but in the 275 GTB/4 he produced a far better looking car with race-bred credentials. It was the logical progression of early 1960s street and competition Ferraris that included Le Mans-winning prototypes and the iconic 250 GTO. 

Just 330 were built, mainly in 1967, and for bragging rights, not much beats a 275 GTB/4.

The Ferrari 275 GTB/4

The Ferrari 275 GTB launched in 1964 at the Paris Show was built by Scaglietti and for all the world looked like a road-going version of the 250 GTO. It was sinuously aggressive, with a small spoiler incorporated into the bootlid, and wonderfully smooth, aerodynamic lines.

Far lighter and simply more overtly sporting than the 250 GT Lusso, its 3,286cc version of Colombo’s classic V12 was both tractable and free-revving. With three Weber carburettors – the most frequent specification – it generated 280bhp at 7,600rpm. As an option, Ferrari offered six Webers, enough to boost output to 300bhp.

Power was transmitted to the five-speed transaxle by a propshaft turning at engine speed, a mechanical solution not without its problems and Ferrari subsequently updated the car with a fixed tunnel bridging the rear of the engine-mounted clutch and the rear axle: the ‘torque tube’. Around 450 single-cam 275 GTBs were built between 1964 and 1966, in two series. The first 250 cars had the ‘short nose’, later cars had a longer nose and much smaller air intake. Both steel and alloy bodies were offered.

The Ferrari 275 GTB/4 was launched at the Paris Salon in October 1966 and it introduced the first-ever double-overhead-camshaft engine in a Ferrari road car. It was also dry-sumped – standard racing practice, as used in the ‘Hot Rod’ 275 GTB Competizione Speciales.

The new four-cam V12 produced 300bhp at 8,000rpm. Six Weber 40 DCN 17 carburettors came as standard and top speed was increased to 165mph. It took just 15 seconds to be travelling at 100mph from standstill. Small revisions were made to the two-cam’s chassis, and Borrani alloy wheels were standard, although some cars had Borrani wires from new or as a period replacement.

The four-cam looked much as the later 275 GTB ‘long-nose’ cars, except that there was now a power bulge in the bonnet. All but a handful were steel, and the car was an occasional racer on events such as the Tour Auto.

This Motor Car

This car was delivered new to an American living in Rome in October 1967 via official dealer Motor s.a.s of Bologna. The car was delivered new in Argento (Salchi 106-E-1) with a Pelle Nero interior (Connolly Vaumol VM 8500). It was likely that the original wheels – since replaced by factory correct 7in x 14in Borrani wires – were alloys.

Its first service was carried out at Ferrari's Assistenza Clienti at Viale Trento Trieste 31 in Modena on 9 November that year. Documents confirm an odometer reading of 1,190km and Italian temporary license plates ‘84239 L4’.

By the 1980s ‘10447’ was in the US, recent research confirming ownership by Patrick Tighe of New Jersey, who sold it to by Samuel John Reed IV of Atlanta, GA. The car was listed by Reed in the 1982-1988 FOCUSA Rosters.

In 2007 ‘10447’ was purchased from Reed by fellow American J. Tucker Morse of Charleston, South Carolina.  Morse commissioned a restoration by Andy Greene Sports and Vintage Race Cars (Savannah, GA) and in March 2008 it was shown – silver with black – at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

Later, chassis 10447 GT returned to Europe, was granted Ferrari Classiche certification in June 2014 and has recently benefitted from a comprehensive respray by award-winning Italian specialist Carrozzeria Cremonini. Further work totalling €19,500 by Autofficina Bonini attended to various areas including the exhaust. The car comes with leather pouch, user and parts manuals, and charming period correspondence on ‘Maranello’ post cards from Samuel Reed’s son while visiting Ferrari in July 1984.

Presented in one of the best colours for a 275 GTB, with matching numbers and ready for serious motoring, this four-cam ticks all the boxes.