Italian Collector Investment Cars

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Ferrari 330 GTS by Pininfarina - 1968

$1,900,000 USD | Asking | RM Sotheby's | Phoenix, Arizona | January 2024

Worth Est.: $1,650,000 USD | Asking 

• Number 86 of 100 produced; one of the rarest, open, twelve-cylinder Ferraris

• Delivered new by Luigi Chinetti Motors with Borrani wire wheels and air conditioning

• Numbers-matching engine and gearbox

• Recently refinished to its original color of Argento, with period-correct Rosso Connolly interior

• Well-known in American Ferrari circles; shown at a plethora of prestigious events

• Featured in the official Ferrari calendar by Gunther Raupp in 2014

• One of Pininfarina’s most widely regarded Ferrari designs

At the 1966 Paris Auto Salon, Ferrari launched the 330 GTS, successor to the 275 GTS and the open version of the popular 330 GTC coupe. It featured an enlarged 4.0-liter V-12 breathing through three triple-choke Weber DCZ/6 carburetors, producing a conservatively estimated 300 brake horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 244 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm, delivered through a five-speed transaxle and ZF limited-slip differential. Zero to 60 mph was possible in around 6.0 seconds and the top speed was nearly 150 mph, both incredibly impressive figures for a convertible in the late 1960s. Nimble driving dynamics come from a fully independent suspension comprised of unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, and Koni shock absorbers, plus anti-roll bars at both ends. Four-wheel Girling vented disc brakes sat behind either standard Campagnolo magnesium alloy or optional Borrani wire wheels.

The car looked spectacular, thanks to Pininfarina bodywork that drew inspiration from the contemporary 500 Superfast, with its split front bumper, triple-louvered engine vents on each fender, and an elegant swage line along each flank, tying the front end to the rear. The bodywork was mostly steel, aside from the doors, hood, and trunk, which were formed from aluminum. The production process saw bare chassis transported directly from the Ferrari factory at Maranello to Pininfarina’s plant at Grugliasco, outside Turin, where they were fitted with bodywork before being returned to Ferrari for the final mechanical installation. Sublimely detailed, the 330 GTS’s design is widely regarded as one of the most elegant produced by Ferrari during a decade of greatness.

The 330 GTS was, of course, limited in production, with only 100 examples produced. They were fiercely desirable when new and have never really fallen out of favor, with collectors still pursuing the finest examples for their stables.

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THE ULTIMATE 250 GT DROP-TOP

Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pininfarina - 1961

$1,650,000 USD Asking | RM Sotheby's | Phoenix, Arizona | January 2024

Worth Est.: $1,650,000 USD | Asking

The Pininfarina-designed cabriolets built on Ferrari’s 250 GT platform in 1957 were nothing short of magnificent, with elegant dimensions and lines, luxurious interiors, and characteristically sporty mechanical performance. But the introduction of the Scaglietti-designed California Spider in early 1958 resulted in an unusual dilemma for Ferrari—it was now producing two very similar-looking open-bodied cars.

While the 250 GT Cabriolet was far more luxurious and docile in character than the California Spider, being built with a roadgoing-specification engine on the concurrent grand-touring chassis rather than the spider’s racing chassis, in outward appearance the cabriolet and the spider bore a number of physical similarities. This resemblance unintentionally blurred Ferrari’s model line, somewhat diluting the individual purpose and character of each car.

Seeking to further differentiate its coachwork from Scaglietti’s spider, Pininfarina designed an updated open body that debuted on the second-series 250 GT Cabriolet at the 1959 Paris Salon. Essentially a more closely related open-top version of the elegant 250 GT Coupé already in production, Pininfarina’s new cabriolet featured a rounded nose with recessed uncovered headlamps and elegant rear fenders with elongated tail-lamp lenses. An optional hardtop accentuated the model’s delicate rear haunches and long front deck. Trademark grand-touring luxury characteristics, such as increased cabin room and trunk space, were steadily supplemented during the model’s life with mechanical advancements, including four-wheel disc brakes, overdrive, and spark plugs on the outside of the engine’s V—a development that offered easier maintenance and improved engine longevity.

Remaining in production through mid-1962, the 250 GT Cabriolet Series II was built in a modest quantity of just 200 examples. These remarkable cars offer nearly identical performance to the Scaglietti-bodied California Spider at a fraction of the investment while providing far better grand touring characteristics, with fully trimmed cabins and superior weather protection. Now recognized as the Spider’s more refined cousin, the Series II Cabriolet has come to be highly prized by serious marque enthusiasts, often occupying central positions in major Ferrari collections worldwide. With their four-wheel disc brakes and outside-plug engines, as well as one of the era’s most harmonious and elegant exterior designs, it is not difficult to understand their cachet among connoisseurs.

FROM AMARANTO TO BLANCO, WITH LOVE

Benefiting from Ferrari Classiche certification and a highly awarded restoration, this beautiful 250 GT is an exceptional example of Pininfarina’s second-series cabriolet. According to the research of marque expert Marcel Massini, chassis number 2489 GT is the 124th example built, and it was dispatched to Pininfarina’s Grugliasco factory in February 1961 to be clothed in cabriolet coachwork finished in Amaranto Roma paint and trimmed in Natural Tan vinyl and leather upholstery. Of particular note, the Ferrari was equipped with an extremely rare removable hardtop with a sunroof, a highly desirable factory component that remains with the car today.

Distributed in June 1961 to J.H. Keller AG, an official marque dealer in Zurich, Switzerland, the Ferrari was quickly sold to a well-heeled woman by the name of Tora, whose husband was the director of a bank in Zurich. Mrs. Tora retained possession of the cabriolet for 15 years before selling it in 1976 to Ernst Wanzenreid of Bern. The second owner kept the car for another 15 years, ultimately trading it in 1991 to Mario Bernardi, a respected dealer based in Hann. Münden, Germany.

In 1995 Mr. Bernardi sold the Ferrari to Reijnold van der Poele of Joure, the Netherlands, and he exhibited the cabriolet at the 2000 Paleis Het Loo Concours d’Elegance. During this time the car was the subject of a feature article in the Dutch automotive magazine Autovisie. The Dutch owner relinquished possession after a decade of doting care, selling the 250 GT in 2005 to a collector in New York who began showing the car in the United States, including appearances at the 2006 and 2007 stagings of the Cavallino Classic, where the car respectively won Silver and Gold Awards.

In 2009 the 250 GT was acquired by a well-known Florida-based collector who immediately commissioned a ground-up, nut-and-bolt restoration by The Creative Workshop in Dania Beach, Florida. Requiring two years to complete, the refurbishment included a refinish of the coachwork in the elegant hue of White. At the same time, the interior was expertly re-trimmed in Red leather with gray carpets. The original removable hardtop was also refinished, now in a smartly contrasting Silver. During this process, the cabriolet was certified with a Ferrari Classiche Red Book that confirms the continued presence of the matching-numbers engine, gearbox, and rear axle.

Over the following few years, the owner presented the Ferrari to great success at major shows, winning four Ferrari Club of America Platinum Awards in as many appearances as the Cavallino Classic. The 250 GT was also shown at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in August 2012, won an Amelia Award at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and took home a class award at the 2014 Sports Sunday at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

In 2015 the Ferrari passed to a well-known collector based in Texas who continued to exhibit the car, presenting it at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Five years later the 250 GT was honored with a depiction in the official poster of the 2021 Tour d’Elegance, commemorating that year’s “Styling of Pininfarina” celebration.

In 2020 the Ferrari was sold to the current owner, an enthusiast residing in Pennsylvania who has dutifully maintained the breathtaking restoration while occasionally showing the cabriolet, such as an appearance at the 2021 Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance, where the car received the Chairman’s Award, and at the 2023 Pennsylvania Concorso Ferrari, a meet of the FCA’s Pennsylvania-New Jersey region, where it garnered a Gold Award. To ensure top mechanical condition, the owner commissioned marque specialists Vintage Motorsports in Malvern, Pennsylvania to rebuild the matching-numbers V-12 engine, including the installation of new pistons, liners, bearings, and timing chain, as demonstrated by invoices on file.

Accompanied by a tool roll, factory jack, and owner’s manuals, this exquisite 250 GT Cabriolet checks all the boxes, benefitting from a well-documented chain of doting caretakers, the beautifully maintained restoration, and the presence of the incredibly rare factory hardtop with sunroof. (Please note, a restored black soft top is also fitted in place.) An ideal candidate for further display at high-level concours d’elegance and FCA gatherings, or driving enjoyment on major touring events, this Ferrari is a benchmark example of the ultimate open-top 250 GT. Passionate marque collectors in search of a strong Series II Cabriolet need look no further, as 2489 GT is undoubtedly one of the finest examples to be encountered.

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1962 Ghia L 6.4

$325,000 USD  Asking | RM Sotheby's | Phoenix, Arizona

Year(s): 1962-1964

• One of only 26 produced by Ghia in Turin, Italy

• Late-production example finished in factory-correct Rosso Rubino over English Saddle Leather

• Powered by a 383-cu.-in. Chrysler V-8 engine paired with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission

• A rare, masterful, and fully bespoke fusion of fine Italian design with American engineering

• One of the last American/Italian GT hybrids

Italian coachbuilder Ghia, revered for making lightweight aluminum bodies for Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Lancia, and later working with Ford, Volkswagen and other foreign makes, briefly produced cars of its own. The first such venture, in collaboration with Dual-Motors Corporation of Detroit, evolved in the 1950s from Ghia’s advanced design work with Chrysler, specifically the Dodge Firearrow concepts. The resulting Dual-Ghia D-500 two-door convertible featured stunning Ghia styling on Chrysler underpinnings but was short-lived, with fewer than 120 units produced from 1956 through 1958.

In 1961, Ghia created the L 6.4, a fully bespoke fastback coupe on a custom chassis and fewer off-the-shelf Chrysler components. Built exclusively to order, it was produced entirely by Ghia and marketed by Dual-Motors in Detroit. Power came from a 383-cubic-inch Mopar V-8 producing well over 300 horsepower. Without question, the hand-built L 6.4 was among the finest automobiles in the world and had an astonishing price to match, north of $13,000. Unfortunately, the cost of production and complications that came with building a car in Italy and selling it in the United States meant that the L 6.4 was destined to a brief yet glorious existence, with only 26 examples built and sold. It marked the end of an era as one of the last custom-bodied Italian/American GT hybrids.

The remarkable Ghia L 6.4 offered here is finished today as it was from the factory, in the attractive combination of Rosso Rubino over English Saddle Leather. A car of this same color combination was shown at the 1962 Paris Motor Motor Show in October of that year, copies of photographs of which are included in the accompanying history file.

This Ghia L 6.4 was sold new in late 1962 or early 1963 to its first owner, who was a member of the Kuwaiti royal family, according to a history report by marque expert Dyke W. Ridgley. Remarkably, the car remained with its original owner for some 60 years until it was acquired by the consignor in May 2023 and imported to the United States.

Now offered with a history file that includes the Ridgely report, this stunning Ghia has clearly benefitted from six decades in single, original ownership and marks an extremely rare opportunity to acquire among the very last of the custom-bodied American/Italian GT hybrids, a masterful and fully bespoke fusion of fine Italian design with American engineering.

In 2013

Vintage Ferraris, as it turns out, are recession proof, which is a good thing to keep in mind the next time you plan to make an automotive investment.

And what’s the pinnacle of the Ferrari market? Why it’s the the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO. How much might a ’63 GTO fetch. Well, one has just sold for $52 million.

The car, covered in the ever-so-appropriate Competition Red paint, was owned by Greenwich, Connecticut-based collector Paul Pappalardo and sold to an unidentified buyer, Bloomberg reports.

The transaction price is 49 percent higher than the last record holder, another 250 GTO that changed hands last year.

The GTO is considered ‘the ultimate car’ by collectors, with owners (including Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason) reportedly receiving typical offers in the $40 million to $50 million range.

So what makes this car so desirable?

First, it’s rare: only 39 250 GTOs were made. Each was hand-built, making each example that much more distinctive from the rest.

Legend has it that Enzo Ferrari commissioned the GTO as a response to the Jaguar E-Type. That would explain the Prancing Horse’s fabulous shape, another aspect of its charm.

The GTO also has a racing pedigree. The initials stand for Gran Turismo Omologato, which roughly translates to “race homologation special.” This particular car, chassis 5111 (car pictured above has a different chassis number), won the 1963 Tour de France road race.

There’s also a lot of magic attached to the GTO name, which is why Pontiac stole it for a GTO of its own – and why Ferrari used the name to sell limited-edition 599s. There’s something about the 250 GTO that just makes it better than other Ferraris in eyes of fans.

Still, $52 million is a lot to pay for a car.

Earlier this year, a 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta “Competizione” sold for about $12.8 million at auction. It was the second most expensive car to be sold at an auction; beaten only by a 1957 250 Testa Rossa that sold for $16 million in 2011.

Other examples of absurdly expensive collector cars include a 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake Mustang that sold for $1.3 million at auction this past May, and an original Batmobile from the 1960s television series, which crossed the block at $4.2 million.

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Ferrari 290MM

Year(s): 1956

Worth Est.: $20-$30 million

Ferrari has a rich history in the motoring arts, and as a piece of Ferrari’s racing heritage, the 1956 290MM Scaglietti Spyder is a standout. Having been driven by some of Ferrari’s and Formula 1’s greatest racers, including Juan Manuel Fangio, Peter Collins, Wolfgang von Trips, and Sir Stirling Moss, this model is an iconic one.

Produced by Ferrari in the mid-1950s, the Ferrari 290MM was developed to be a fierce competitor in the 1956 Mille Miglia, which was why it had the “MM” moniker attached to its name. The car would go on to win the 1956 Mille Miglia.

Just four of these vehicles were built and, as you can imagine, they’ve sold at auction for a high price because of that rarity. In 2015, Sotheby’s sold the 290MM that Juan Manual Fangio drove at the 1956 Mille Miglia for $28 million. At the time, that was the third-most-expensive auction price for a car. In 2018, another 290MM sold for $22 million.

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Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione

Year(s): 1958-1960

Worth Est.: $18.15 Million

Between 1958 and 1960, Ferrari manufactured fifty 250 GT LWB California Spyders with long wheelbases. Nine of those Spyders were designed to be of racing quality. These “Competizione’s” bodies were built using a lightweight aluminum alloy, giving them better handling and making them fit for the track.

The 250 California LWB Spyder Competizione has shown its prowess over the field by winning multiple races for Team Ferrari over the years, including tracks in Nassau and Bridgehampton. One of these race cars would have cost a pretty penny when they came out. Not the $18.15 million one recently sold for, but $12,000 was a lot of money in 1959.

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1956 Maserati 450S Prototype

Year(s): 1956

Worth Est.: $7.5 million

Built in the 1950s, just nine 450S vehicles were ever built. The Maserati 450S was designed to participate in the FIA’s World Sportscar Championship, a lengthy endurance race. In 1954, the Tipo 54, as it was known, was developed by Guido Taddeucci and Vittorio Bellentani. Though it was shelved a year later after a terrible Le Mans crash, the project began again in 1956.

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1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’

Year(s): 1956

Worth Est.: $5.72 million

The 1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta “Tour de France” had only nine models, the second of which sold for $5.72 million at auction a few years ago. The 250 was a successful line of GTs and sports cars, and this “Tour de France” car got its name after competing at the race. Carrozzeria Scaglietti handled the construction, and the design was based on work by Pinin Farina.

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Ferrari 250 California LWB

Year(s): 1958-1960

Worth Est.: $2.64 Million

The Ferrari 250 California LWB that sold for $2.64 million at RM Auction’s Villa d’Este sale in 2011 is one of just fifty Spyders, the legendary car company manufactured with long wheelbases between the years 1958 and 1960. The intention of these hard-top convertibles was always for them to be a limited production, but they sure left their mark before giving way to the SWB models. The 1958-1960 Spyders are considered by many to be one of Ferrari’s sexiest models. They were designed with a front longitudinal 60° V12 engine that — when the “pedal is to the metal”  — could thrust the vehicles forward with the power of 240-280 horses, reaching up to 155 mph.

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Maserati 5000GT Frua

Year(s): 1959-1965

Worth Est.: $2.1 Million

Only 34 of Maserati’s 5000GT series vehicles were manufactured in its six years of production. By 1963, the series’ chief engineer, Giulio Alfieri, opted to make a few changes to that year’s Frua model. Albeit, they were changes that would have taken a car expert to notice. One such change was implemented to give the classic car a “smoother ride.”

Alfieri accomplished the feat by switching out the vehicle’s former Weber carburetors for Lucas fuel injectors. Maserati’s 5000GT Frua sold for a whopping $14,000 in 1963, and its price hasn’t dropped much, comparatively. A buyer won’t get away with one for less than $2 million these days.

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Lamborghini Countach LP400

Year(s): 1974-1978

Worth Est.: $1 Million

Some cars arrive on the scene with a bang, wowing customers worldwide with their looks and tremendous power. Few vehicles of done this better than the Lamborghini Countach LP400. The rear mid-engine Italian sports car was the first model in the Countach line and set the tone perfectly for what was to come.

The Countach LP400 was designed with a unique chassis and body that, when combined with the power of its 3.9-liter engine, help the “Lambo” go from 0-62 mph in just 5.4 seconds. As the most collected Lamborghini, with only 158 of them having been made, an OG Countach would be tough to find for under $1 million these days.

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Siata 200 CS

Year(s): 1952-1954

Worth Est.: $690,000

The rarer an object, the more desirable it will be. That being said, with less than twenty Siata 200 CSs in existence, you can imagine how many collectors have been patiently awaiting the next time one goes up for auction — the most recent one (a 1952 model) sold for $689,999 on April 22, 2022. 

Also known as the Siata 208 CS, this little beauty has had car enthusiasts “watering at the mouth” since its first introduction in 1952. The engineers of this tubular bodied sports car fitted it with one of Fiat’s 1,996 cc OHV alloy 70° V8 engines — giving it 125 hp @ 6,000 rpm. 

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Apollo 5000GT

Year(s): 1962-1965

Worth Est.: $284,000

The Apollo 5000 GT was an Italian-American sports car, initially marketed from 1962 to 1964 by International Motor Cars in Oakland, California.

International Motor Cars was attempting to create a sports car that would outsell the Ferrari 250 series. It was given a 5.0 liter Buick V8 engine, a 4-speed manual transmission, and incredibly designed steelwork — handmade by Intermeccanica. Buyers were also given a choice between a solid, the closed fastback model or a sportier convertible.

At $9,000, the Apollo 5000GT was dearer than most cars at the time but a few thousand dollars less expensive than Ferrari’s 250 and a quarter of a million dollars cheaper than what you’d find at the auction these days.

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Ferrari 308

Year(s): 1975-1985

Worth Est.: $200,000

Introduced at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, the body of the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive Ferrari 308 was initially composed of glass-reinforced plastic (later switched to steel). The GTB/GTS models were given 90° V8 engines with 5-speed transmissions, making the 308 an excellent option for any cross-country drive — as long as you don’t plan on bringing more than one other person along.

Although a pristinely cared-for Ferrari 308 has been valued as high as $199,000, a used one shouldn’t cost you more than $50,000. This is one classic car that you don’t need to be the CEO of Google to be able to afford.

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Cisitalia D46

Year(s): 1946-1948

Worth Est.: $171,000

Designed by Dante Giacosa, the Cisitalia D46 was made using some of the same parts as the Fiat streets cars of the time. This worked out quite well for Giacosa, who already had intimate knowledge of the components due to his designing Fiat’s pre World War 2 masterpiece, the 500 Fiat Topolino.

The Cisitalia D46 is a rear-wheel-drive auto with a tubular body and a top speed of 105.6 mph. The vehicle’s lightweight (772 lbs) made it fantastic for racing — as did its 1100cc engine and modified suspension.