1965 Ferrari 275 GTS Spyder

Independently, the names Ferrari and Pininfarina have a magic all their own. Put together, they signify a machine of rare transcendent beauty. This has never been more true than in the case of the Ferrari 275 GTS.

Introduced at the Paris Salon in October, 1964, this lovely open Ferrari mated the marque’s legendary 3286-cc single-overhead camshaft V12 and five-speed transmission with a simple and elegant body from Pininfarina. Breathing through a triplet of twin-choke Webers, the lusty V12 made spectacular mechanical noises while churning out a healthy 260 bhp.

The chassis underpinnings of the GTS are typical mid-’60s road-going Ferrari, with independent front suspension by upper and lower A-arms, followed by a leaf-spring live rear axle. When Road & Track tested an example in September, 1966, the 3,345-pound Spyder reached 145 mph and covered a quarter mile in 15.7 seconds. Car and Driver did even better, with a 14-second sprint at...