This 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS sold for $357,500 at RM’s January 2006 Arizona auction.
Enzo Ferrari founded his company as a manufacturer and entrant of race cars. If the business had grown as he planned, he might have never made a Ferrari road car. Fortunately for automobile enthusiasts, racing is very expensive, and Mr. Ferrari reluctantly had to build road cars to fund his passion. As the years passed and the cost of racing grew exponentially, the necessity for Ferrari to build road cars grew with it. Today, Ferrari still races, but road cars are their main business.
Once corrupted by shameless commerce, Mr. Ferrari became quite proficient in producing a diverse assortment of street, racing, and mixed-use models. Several new cars were introduced in 1966, a transition year, and a couple were phased out. The total offering for that year was quite impressive and gives a glimpse at how productive the factory was.
The 1966 racing line was led by the 312 series Formula One cars, followed by the legendary 330, 365, and Dino Prototype racers. On the street side the 500 Superfast and the 365 California were the A tickets. The production cars included the 275 GTS and 275 GTB. The 275 GTB progressed from a short-nose to a long-nose version, with variations built with two- and four-cam engines and bodies of steel and alloy. Even a few very special competition 275 GTBs were built that year.
Complementing the sporty 275 line was the grand touring-themed 330 series. Introduced in 1964, the 330 series would prove to be a step away from Ferrari’s past and a step toward the future. Features like power windows, power steering, and air conditioning replaced spartan interiors and weight-saving construction. The twelve-cylinder engine was tuned for commuting rather than track use. Drivability and comfort trumped performance in the 330 line.
The first 330 was rather strange looking; a four-headlight 2+2 that was later refined with a more attractive twin-headlight front end. The 330 GTC came next. The two-passenger 330 coupe featured a Superfast-inspired body mounted on a modified 275 frame. The GTC shared the 330 2+2’s engine, but attached it to a rear-mounted transaxle rather than the 2+2’s front transmission.
The 330 GTS (Grand Touring Spider) followed the GTC. It was a refinement of the 275 GTS rather than a completely new model. The 275 GTS was a delightful car with good power, light handling, and cute little body that unfortunately looked more like a Fiat Spider than a Ferrari. Pininfarina nicely solved the identity problem by resculpting the nose of the 330 GTS to look more like the nose of a Superfast. In addition, the 330 received standard electric windows, optional air conditioning, and enough detail changes to clearly differentiate it from a 275.
The 330 GTS is a near-perfect summer car. It has gobs of power, makes wonderful noises, and is a pleasure to drive. It is comfortable on the road and agile around town. The manual top takes some effort to put down and allows a bit too much wind noise when up, but on a top-down summer day, who cares?
The value of a Ferrari 330 GTS is directly related to its drivability rather than its collectibility. As one of a few open-top V12 Ferraris, the 330 GTS will always have a following. Attractive, great-driving, and with only a hundred built, they are desirable, but as the cornerstone of a collection, they fall short. The 330 GTS is not eligible for great rallies, it has no competition history, and it is not “oh my god” good looking. A 330 GTS should be bought for driving rather than collecting. When 330 prices climb to the point where their owners don’t drive them, a price ceiling is near.
This 330 GTS, S/N 10375, is reportedly a very nice example of the model. It received a good-quality restoration a few years back and still looks great. SCM’s auction database shows it previously sold at World Classic’s 1993 Monterey auction for $185,000. This sale represents an impressive appreciation, but it was still on the light side of SCM’s price guide. Fortunately, the buyer is in at a price where he can still enjoy the car. The seller should be pleased with his pile of chips, and the buyer will be pleased with his purchase. In a couple of years it should be worth a little more, and will have delivered miles of pleasure in the meantime.
