HOME   ABOUT   STRATEGY   CURRENT TRENDS   WATCH LIST  AUCTIONS   CONTACT

Legendary Sports Cars

 

1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti

 

Sold for $26,400,000 on August 16, 2014

320 hp, Type 213/Comp 3,286 lightweight block V-12 engine with six Weber 38 DCN carburetors, five-speed manual transaxle transmission, four-wheel upper and lower wishbone coil-spring independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 94.4 in.


< PREVIOUS     MORE PHOTOS    NEXT >
During late 1964 and early 1965, Ferrari built three 275 GTB/C Speciales, specifically for FIA homologation and factory development, each boasting unique details from the standard 275 GTB/Cs that would follow. All were fitted with super-lightweight aluminum bodywork, a Tipo 563 chassis constructed of smaller and lighter tubes, and the type 213/Comp dry-sump engine topped with six Weber carburetors first seen in the 250 LM, which was mounted lower in the chassis to lower the car’s center of gravity. This engine was specifically developed with big valves and cylinder heads, like the 250 GTO or 250 LM, 9.7:1 compression ratio pistons, the already well-tested Tipo 130 camshaft (10mm lift), and most of the auxiliary casings made in magnesium. With 70 additional horsepower powering a chassis that was lighter in all respects to the standard 275 GTB road car, this was undoubtedly the most formidable weapon in Ferrari’s competition arsenal. As Giancarlo Rosetti stated in his Forza article entitled “Legend of the GTO ’65,” “while the GTB/C Speciales were built on 275 chassis and fitted with 3.3-liter motors, it’s easy to see where they evolved from.”

Completed in April 1965, chassis 06701, present here, was the first of the three 275 GTB/C Speciales built. It uniquely hand built in all respects, as were the two cars that followed. As per the build sheet, the car was originally fitted with a 250 LM type exhaust with side pipes. Its rear fender shared a very similar profile with the ’64 250 GTOs, as did its front end, which also bore some resemblance to that of a 330 LMB. For added ventilation to the brakes, two oval slots were cut in the nose and another three vents behind the rear wheels. Additionally, the car features an outside aluminum fuel filler cap, specific to the 140-liter fuel tank, to allow for faster fueling during pit stops and a stunningly sculpted air-intake on the hood. Inside, a pair of GTO-style aluminum bucket seats holds both driver and passenger firmly in position.

All told, Ferrari had arranged a powerful arsenal for Le Mans. The 275 GTB/C would ideally run in the GT class and the 250 LM in the prototype class. They were determined to dominate not just one but both categories.