The Pick of the Day is the 246th 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE Series 1 by Pininfarina and, according to the St. Louis, Missouri, dealership advertising the car on ClassicCars.com, it is a survivor that has been driven little more than 70,000 miles since brand new.
“Performs wonderfully!” the dealer proclaims in the ad. “One of the most original examples in existence! The perfect Ferrari 250 to drive and enjoy as is; ideal for a vintage rally or tour. Ideal candidate for survivor classes at Concours events. A dream for the Ferrari collector.”
The 250 GT, a 2+2 designed for grand touring debuted at the 1960 Paris Motor Show as Ferrari’s first 4-seater to be produced on a larger scale.
The car shared its wheelbase with the 250 GT coupe and cabriolet, but the body was longer, wide and lower that its predecessor, the dealership notes.
Production continued into the fall of 1963, though involved 3 distinct series. Production totaled 954 cars, “and few remain in their original configuration today,” the dealer notes, “as the 250 GTE chassis is often used as platform for 250 GTO tribute cars.
“Today the Series I GTE is highly prized with its grille mounted fog lights, and separated tail lamp arrangement. A light and powerful car with plenty of leg room the 250 GTE is indicative of what makes the 250 Series Ferraris so coveted today and examples are typically found in some of the world’s most premiere collections.”
A “Mr. Alexander” from San Francisco took delivery of the white Ferrari (chassis 2919) at the factory in Italy, the dealer reports, and had it airfreighted to his home, where he kept the car until 1966.
The second owner sold the car in 1977 to Oregon resident David Martin. At that point the car had been driven around 50,000 miles. Martin had the 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine rebuilt and in 1996 gave the car to his son, Dale, who kept it in the family for another decade.
“Today 2919 GT hails from a respected private collection and presents as an honest, unrestored example displaying charming patina with visible paint wear and an original leather interior displaying the expected level of wear,” according to the dealer.
“Its condition mirrors nearly identical of that which was described by David Martin in a 1992 report which stated the vehicle had traveled only 69,443 miles from new at the time. Less than 1,000 additional miles have been added on 2919 GT in nearly 30 years, proving furthermore that this Ferrari has been under only meticulous care from new.”
The car has been shown at the Forest Grove Concours d’Elegance, has its original Nero leather interior with red carpet, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, power-assisted 4-wheel disc brakes, 15-inch Borrani wire wheels, Marchal fog lamps, Walpres bullet mirrors and Blaupunkt AM/FM radio.
The car is offered with its original tool kit, jack and knock-off hammer, registrations dating back to the mid-1960s, service records, and a “comprehensive history report by noted Ferrari Historian Marcel Massini.”
The Ferrari is being offered for $395,900. To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
at the first glance I thought this was a 1955 Ford Thunderbird with fog lights… but this is way more than a Ford. really nice !