1965 Ferrari 275 GTB
$1,375,000 SOLD! With Commission
3rd Highest Sale RM Auction Amelia Island 2013
280 bhp, 3,286 cc overhead cam V-12 engine, triple 40DCZ/6 Weber carburetors, rear-mounted five-speed manual transaxle, four-wheel upper and lower wishbone coil spring independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. Wheelbase: 94.5 in.
•Low-mileage, numbers-matching example
•Single ownership for the last 37 years; time-capsule originality
•Unique competition-style driveshaft features
•One of very few short-nose cars constructed with an "interim" driveline
•One of only approximately 250 short-nose examples produced
•FCA National Concours winner
•Ferrari Classiche certified
One of Ferrari's most esteemed 1960s GT models, the 275 GTB debuted at the 1964 Paris Salon, slated as the successor to the long-running and highly successful 250 GT. Utilizing an enlarged 3.3-liter version of the classic Colombo V-12, the 275 was the first Maranello road car to offer independent rear suspension and a rear-mounted, five-speed transaxle, which contributed to the model's ideal weight distribution.
About a year later, Ferrari introduced a longer, redesigned nose for the 275, intended to assist aerodynamic downforce at high speed. While helpful to racers, this modification did little to improve upon Pininfarina's original compact proportions, and the since-designated "short-nose" examples, limited to approximately just 250 cars, are now prized by collectors for their aesthetic purity, often regarded as the most beautiful of the 275 GTB variations.
This fantastic late short-nose 275 GTB offers a number of superlatives, combining rare features, a desirable production sequence, stunningly original condition, and the benefits of just one owner for the past 37 years. As a sparingly used and undamaged example that retains all of its original bodywork, interior, and drivetrain components, s/n 07751 is as honest and authentic as a 275 can be found, setting a standard by which other short-nose models can be judged. It is additionally notable as one of just a handful of late short-nose cars to feature an "interim" driveline that was subsequently utilized on the 275's later competition variant, the 275 GTB/C.
According to the research of noted Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, chassis number 07751 was sent to coachbuilder Scaglietti in July 1965 to be clothed in Pininfarina's exquisite body design. Completed in September, the car was finished in Oro Chiaro (light gold) paint, as confirmed by factory records, with an interior trimmed in Nero (black) Connolly leather.
It should be noted that 07751 occupies a relatively unique position within the sequence of overall 275 production, falling quite late amongst the short-nose cars but shortly after the official debut of the long-nose prototype. Like a small handful of cars produced during this brief changeover period, 07751 combines various elements of both designs. It offers the purity of Pininfarina's original early short-nose design, which is aesthetically preferable to many collectors and certainly more faithful to the model's original conception, as well as some of the time-developed improvements of the later cars, such as hanging pedals, a wood grain dashboard, and an enlarged footwell.
The most important of these changeover features, however, lies with the driveline. There were three different driveline configurations utilized during the life of the 275 GTB, the earliest cars being fitted with an open Hotchkiss-style normal u-joint setup. The use of a rear-mounted transaxle required this driveshaft to rotate at a much higher speed than a conventional one, making proper alignment critical for the elimination of any vibration.
Unfortunately, over time, these drivelines often became misaligned, requiring both skill and special training to correct, usually at significant expense. As a result, Ferrari switched to a constant velocity (CV) joint setup with a center bearing (referred to as the "interim" driveline setup), which made the alignment process much simpler, and it is this configuration that is fitted to 07751. Generally associated with the initial run of the subsequent two-cam long-nose examples, the "interim" driveline configuration is known to exist on only a few of the late short-nose cars, making 07751 one of perhaps just 10 such cars that were so equipped.
Ultimately, Ferrari switched to a torque tube setup that effectively bolted the clutch housing to the transaxle at the rear, fixing them together as a unit. As noted, however, in the later 275 GTB/C competition cars, Ferrari reverted to the "interim" driveline setup, presumably because of its light weight and ease of adjustment. S/n 07751 therefore combines the best of both worlds, providing the short-nose model's handsome looks with the vibration-free, high-speed performance associated with both the long-nose road cars and the later 275 GTB/C competition derivatives.
Robert Myrick Photography
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