1963 Ferrari 250 GTL “Lusso” Berlinetta

It’s easy to imagine Steve McQueen driving the Lusso up Highway 1 at speed. The new owner can make the ultimate nostalgia trip

by John Apen

Late in 1962, at the Paris Show, Ferrari introduced the Lusso Berlinetta, the last of the 250 series. The Lusso combined features of the 250 SWB and the 250 GTO in a beautiful, luxurious steel body by Scaglietti, and was one of Pininfarina’s most successful designs.

The design incorporated aerodynamic refinement, the result of Ferrari’s experience with the round-tailed SWB and the cutoff Kamm tail of the GTO. The sloping back window flowed to the short rear deck and the effective spoiler above the Kamm tail. “Lusso” means luxury, and the car was trimmed with thick carpets and soft leather. Like all Ferraris, the Lusso was a driver’s car, with excellent visibility. In barely 18 months, 350 were built.

Steve McQueen parted with his Lusso in late 1967, after becoming irritated with the smoke under hard acceleration. He had the engine rebuilt but the smoke persisted, so he traded it to Charlie Hayes, ex Can-Am driver and dealer, who advertised it in...