1965 Ferrari 330GT Coupe
By the end of the 50s, the demand for ‘good-sized’ sports cars had grown sufficiently for Ferrari to contemplate the introduction of a four-seater model. The first such Ferrari, introduced in the summer of 1960, was the 250 GTE 2+2 – was based on the highly successful 250 GT.
Ferrari tasked Pininfarina with producing a 2+2 without sacrificing the 250’s elegant aesthetics or sporting characteristics, and Italy’s foremost coachbuilder succeeded brilliantly.
As a result of the 250GTE success, Ferrari introduced the 330 GT 2+2 in January 1964. Pininfarina was once again entrusted with the styling, adopting of a four-headlamp frontal treatment that reflected the tastes of Ferrari’s most important export market, the USA.
The 330 GT’s tubular chassis was 50mm longer in the wheelbase than before, which made conditions less cramped for the rear passengers. Suspension was independent at the front by wishbones and coil springs, while at the back there was a live axle/semi-elliptic set-up. Improvements to the discs-all-round braking system saw separate hydraulic circuits adopted for front and rear. Nevertheless, Ferrari had not lost sight of the requirement to offered the ultimate driving experience, despite the increase in bulk necessitated by the 330 GT’s additional accommodation.
The 330 GT’s Colombo-type, 60-degree, V12 engine had first appeared in the 330 America (effectively a big-bore 250 GTE 2+2) in 1963. Displacing 3,967cc, the single-overhead-camshaft, all-alloy unit was good for 300-plus horsepower, an output sufficient to propel the 330 GT to a maximum velocity of 152mph (245km/h) making it, when introduced, the fastest road-going Ferrari. Equipped at first with a four-speeds-plus-overdrive gearbox, the 330 GT gained a five-speed transmission in mid-1965 and later that year had its four-headlight front end replaced by a two-lamp arrangement, these later cars being known as the ‘Series 2’. By the time production ceased in 1967, Ferrari had built 1,080 330 GTs, of which 455 were to ‘Series 2’ specification.
This particular 330GT 2+2 was assembled in December of 1963 and finished in the stunning colour combination of Bleu Sera over Beige hides. Originally delivered in January of ’64 to the Rome-based Ferrari dealer Gioacchino Vari, it was sold new to someone from Catania, Sicily and assigned the Italian registration number “CT 117118”. The car returned to the factory for service twice in November of ’65 showing under 10,000km and again in February of ’65 with 15,567km.
In April 1965, s/n 5401 was sold to someone from Milan and registered under “MI A 06640”. Sent back to the factory again in September of ’66 with 17,382km, the Milanese ownership was brief as the car was sold to an enthusiast in Bergamo in late 1966 and registered with the plates “BG 144713” in December of that year shortly before again dropping by the factory for service, now showing 19,553km. In the late 1970s the car left Italy for the United States.
By mid-1987 the Ferrari was for sale in San Francisco and was purchased by a Sicilian woman living in the US as a gift for her lucky husband. The couple would retain the car until the current owner acquired more recently.
While in the care of the prior owners, the car was repainted in its original color and the interior was redone. New wires and sparkplugs, five new tires, and a new clutch have been fitted; the fuel system was flushed and the carburetors, distributors, and brake system were rebuilt; and the entire engine bay was cleaned and detailed with the cherry on the cake being a compression and leak down test—both of which returned passing results.
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