1965 Ferrari 275 GTS

The 275 series of road cars made its debut at the 1964 Paris Motor Show, replacing the long-standing 250 range in its various forms. The stunning new 275 GTB replaced the 250 SWB Berlinetta and 250 Lusso as a car that could be used both on road and track, while its sister car, the 275 GTS, took the place of the 250 SWB California Spyder and 250 GT convertible. Both the 275 GTB and GTS featured and enlarged version of the V12 60-degree Colombo engine used in the 250 series, now displacing a healthy 3.3 liters and hence both considerably more torquey and more usable than its predecessor. This unit had already been tried extensively in competition, installed in the 275 P and 250 LM racing cars, and was capable of producing between 260 and 300 bhp in roadgoing form.

The 275 GTS was styled by the immortal pen of Pininfarina, and bore little visual resemblance to its sister the GTB. It had a taut look that was in keeping with its short, crisp nose line, giving an overall impression of understated power and grace. Performance certainly lived up to looks: a Car & Driver test published in October 1965 recorded a 0-60 mph time of just six seconds and a top speed of 144 mph – highly impressive figures even by today’s standards. At the same time, the car was manageable and smooth to drive even about town, only unleashing its full race-bred potential when summoned to do so by the driver.

Production, which began in the final weeks of 1964, continued until 1966 for a total of only 200 cars built. This makes the GTS version even rarer than its closed sister, and one of Ferrari’s most coveted road cars.

This example was delivered new to the Swedish Consul in Paris, obviously a man of some means, and was originally painted Silver Grey with Bordeaux leather upholstery. He in turn sold the car to the president of the advertising agency which handled all the Ferrari publicity of the period. The third and last owner bought the car in the early 1980s and had it repainted in the current Rosso Corsa by the revered atelier of Lecoq in Paris, while the seats were reupholstered in black leather.