A noble steed
Although most Ferrari 275 GTBs today feature a chrome horse on the boot lid, the noble steed was first introduced on the 275 GTB/4 unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1966. It can be distinguished from its predecessor, the 275 GTB ‘Long Nose’, by the ‘power dome’, the bulge on the bonnet. This was in turn due to the new engine, the Tipo 226, still the eternal Colombo twelve-cylinder with a displacement of 3.3 litres, but now with four overhead camshafts (two per cylinder bank), six Weber twin carburettors (mostly 40 DCN9, but also DCN17 or DCN19), dry sump lubrication (an impressive 16 litres) and two fans positioned in front of the radiator; the valve angle was 54 degrees instead of the previous 57 degrees, allowing the cylinder head to be built slightly more compactly. Ferrari stated the power output as 300 hp at 8000 rpm, with the engine only reaching its maximum torque of 294 Nm at 6000 rpm.
A total of 330 Ferrari 275 GTB/4s were probably built, 13 (or 16, possibly 19?) of them with aluminium bodywork, which reduced the weight from 1.3 to 1.1 tonnes. The factory stated a top speed of 270 km/h, and the 275 GTB/4 was said to be able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. And of course, like the 275 GTB ‘Short Nose’ and ‘Long Nose’, it needs to be in the appropriate collection (there is also a line of ancestors here).
VIN: 09413 (Alu)
A very special example, offered (and sold) by RM Sotheby’s in a sealed auction, with the following information: «Unlike the 275 GTB, the 275 GTB/4 did not have any dedicated variants, but rather could be had with additional options to make it more sporting in nature. One such option was alloy bodywork, only fitted to sixteen 275 GTB/4s, including chassis number 09413. Antoine Prunet’s book, The Ferrari Legend: The Road Cars, refers to 09413 directly, stating “It appeared that the 275 GTB/C did not have a true counterpart in the GTB/4 series…it also seemed that some examples obtained, at the works itself, special treatment. This was, for example, the case of 09413/GT-4A which, in addition to its special designation, received among other modifications, special pistons, an aluminum body, an external fuel filler, and Borrani wire wheels.” This was as close as one could get to a 275 GTB/4 ‘Competizione,’ if such a car were to exist. Finished in Rosso Chiaro over a Pelle Nera interior, there was no mistaking this 275 GTB/4 for anything other than Ferrari’s latest and greatest. In May 1967, 09413 was sold new to Robert “Bob” Peak of Connecticut. Peak was well known as an incredibly talented commercial illustrator, known for his work in designing film posters. His earliest success was designing the poster for West Side Story and would continue creating posters for both Hollywood and Broadway through the late 1970s, with some of his most famous work being for Apocalypse Now, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Superman. While he might not have been a famous face in Hollywood, there is no doubt that his work had a profound affect in both film and theatre; millions of people around the world knew him through his work in both mediums. Early on in his ownership, Peak lent his new 275 GTB/4 Alloy to Car & Driver to be road tested and featured in their October 1967 issue, hitting newsstands the month before. The road test makes for a fascinating read, and clearly, Car & Driver were in awe of the car’s capabilities both on road and on track, stating; “the GTB-4 is moreover, the only ‘pure’ sports car that Ferrari makes…a sports car that you can drive to the race track, unload your bird and your gear, and go out and win the race. The GTB-4 is, in fact, the only true dual-purpose gran turismo racing car in the world.” Within the article, Peak is mentioned by name, and the outside fuel filler cap is mentioned as present on the car (listed as an optional extra at a cost of $280.00). Before the end of the year, the 275 GTB had been returned to Chinetti and was shipped to Charles Rezzaghi Motors in San Francisco, the official Ferrari dealer in San Francisco, where it was subsequently sold to Alec Wilson of California. After passing through two more owners in the US, the car was eventually exported to Europe in the early 1980s. Undergoing a partial restoration in the late 1990s in its native Italy, the car returned to the US in 2006 and was purchased shortly thereafter by Dr. Vance Shappley of Germantown, Tennessee. Upon arrival stateside, further refurbishment work was carried out at Motion Products in Neenah, Wisconsin. In 2009, the car was granted Ferrari Classiche certification, confirming that it retains its original chassis, engine, gearbox, and bodywork».
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VIN: 09657
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island 2005, estimate 500’000 to 550’000 Dollar, not sold.
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VIN: 09709
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Arizona 2003, sold for 297’000 Dollar.
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VIN: 09865
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2004, sold for 539’000 Dollar.
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VIN: 09903
Auction: RM Sotheby’s, Arizona 2006, sold for 742’500 Dollar.
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VIN: 10103 (Alu)
Auktion: RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island 2004, sold for 682’000 Dollar.
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A chronology of the early Ferrari models can be found here. And then there’s the archive.
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