Ferrari 275 GTB/4, chassis number 09603, was completed as a berlinetta (fixed-head coupe) in April 1967 and sold new to Motor S.a.s. in Rome, Italy, finished in Amaranto with beige leather interior. Its first owner was the longtime Ferrari customer and gentleman racer Dr. Augusto Caraceni, who competed in the Mille Miglia on two occasions (1951 and 1952).
The car was serviced by the Ferrari Factory Assistenza Clienti in 1967 and 1968 before being exported to the U.S. soon afterwards. In February 1979, 09603 was converted to NART Spider configuration by Straman Auto Restoration. The Ferrari remained in the U.S. until European Auto Sales sold it to well-respected collector Yoshio Matsuda in Japan in 1987. In 1996, the Japanese owner sold the Ferrari to the Symbolic Motor Car Co., from whom it was purchased in May of that year by the current vendor, a well-known Swiss private collector, who has been its custodian for nearly 30 years.
Some seven years later, the owner commissioned Ferrari to undertake a complete, no-expense-spared restoration of the car, including returning it to the original berlinetta specification. The body was restored by Ferrari themselves at a cost of around €180,000, while the mechanical rebuild was completed by Autofficina Bonini Carlo Srl, an officially authorized Ferrari service agent, at a cost of more than €120,000. The restoration took some three years to complete, and the all-important Ferrari Classiche certification was duly obtained in June 2017.
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams Cars.)
