Ferrari 250 GTO

Only 39 pieces of the Ferrari 250 GTO were made. This makes the car a real collector’s item these days. The Ferrari 250 GTO is so limited and sought after that this car recently sold for 70 million (!) dollars. Every GTO that we have put on paper is based on the real configurations of the chassis numbers below.

Chassis: 3223GT

At the end of 1961, this was the very first 250 GTO built. He was extensively tested and stayed with Ferrari until the summer of 1962 when he was sold through Luigi Chinetti to William McKelvy of the American racing team Scuderia Bear. After a promising debut at Bridgehampton, he campaigned successfully at Nassau where Lorenzo Bandini won the GT class in one race and Charles Hayes in two. The racing career continued for a few years and in 1966 the GT class was won at the Daytona 24 Hours in the hands of then owner Larry Perkins and Jack Slottag. Later that year, the chassis of the 3223GT was withdrawn from today’s racing. With the exception of a decade in the 1990s and early 2000s, when it was in Japanese hands, it remained with an American owner. The current owner acquired the first GTO in 2004 and had it restored to the Daytona class winning configuration.

Chassis: 3387GT

After a short test at Monza, where a rear spoiler was added to the tail for aerodynamic stability, this, the second 250 GTO, was shipped to Luigi Chinetti in the United States. Upon receipt, he took it into the Sebring 12 Hours ahead of factory drivers Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien. They positioned themselves second overall and first in class, taking the first major win of the type. Shortly afterwards it was sold to Bob Grossman, who campaigned the car on both sides of the Atlantic until the spring of 1963. Later owner Mike Gammino continued to race the car until late 1965. After changing hands a few times, the current American owner acquired the Sebring-class winning GTO in 1997.

Chassis: 3445GT

Sold to Italian capitalist racer Sergio Bettoja through Luciano Conti, this 250 GTO made its debut on the Parma-Poggio hill climb in June 1962. It was Bettoja’s only outing by car when he sold it on to Count Volpi, who promptly took it to Le Mans. put down. In April 1963 the 3445GT chassis was sold to Ulf Norinder, who had it painted in the Swedish national racing colours. He campaigned for it with some success well into the 1964 season. In 1965 it was reorganized by Drogo for road use. Later owner Robs Lamplough crashed the car in the 1970s and had it restored to its original configuration. Since then it has gone through several American and Japanese hands until it was acquired by the current owner in 2005. He used the car extensively until it was damaged in an accident during the GTO 50th tour in 2012. Chassis 3445GT was then entrusted to Ferrari Classiche for an extensive restoration. Completed in 2015, it has been raced and showcased on both sides of the Atlantic ever since.

Chassis: 4219GT

Chassis 4219GT was sold new to American Mamie Spears Reynolds, who was an heir to Reynolds’ tobacco fortune. She got in the car for Pedro Rodriguez in the 1963 Daytona Continental, which the young Mexican promptly won. In May 1963 he was sold to Beverly Spencer, who also gave him a short ride. After he retired in 1964, it was bought by George C. Dyer Sr., who had it painted dark blue. He used the car daily and also taught his son to drive the GTO. Although it has since changed hands, it kept its beautiful blue paint in 1993 and is still one of the most original 250 GTOs in existence.

Chassis: 3505GT

Finished in the once striking Laystall livery, this was the first right-hand drive 250 GTO. Stirling Moss, a co-owner of the car, was supposed to race it, but the crash he had at Goodwood meant he was never able to drive it. Masts instead raced Gregory and Innes Ireland for the UDT-Laystall team, with an outright win in the Tourist Trophy at Goodwood for the latter. The following season, a new Austrian owner campaigned to have it painted red. Subsequent owners included well-known collectors such as the Harrison Brothers, Harry Leventis, Yoshino Matsuda and Eric Heerema. In 2012, it was bought by the current custodian, who paid a famous $35 million, which was the highest price ever paid for a car at the time.