1967 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina

1967 Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina
Sold for $418,000 Including Commission
RM Auction Monterey, CA. 2013
Chassis no. 10745
300 bhp, 3,967 cc Colombo V-12 engine with triple Weber carburetors, five-speed manual transmission, front and rear independent wishbone suspension with coil springs, and front and rear hydraulic disc brakes. Wheelbase: 94.4 in.

•Ferrari Classiche certified; matching-numbers example
•Considered the finest grand tourer of the 1960s
•Classic Pininfarina styling with proven 12-cylinder power


Upon its premiere at the Brussels Salon in January of 1964, the 330 GT 2+2 was intended to be the grandest of tourers. Designed to cruise effortlessly across Europe, the 330 GT 2+2 was luxuriously appointed to carry its occupants down the autostrada in style, while also ticking all of the usual Ferrari boxes in terms of performance. As per usual, Ferrari's engineers kept pushing the envelope in order to create a car that would provide even better performance, as well as luxurious appointments that their discerning clients demanded. Enter the 330 GTC.

If Ferrari were to be a rock band, the 330 GTC would have been its greatest hits album. Introduced just two years after the 330 GT 2+2 in Geneva, the 330 GTC embodied the best of both worlds between the comparatively plush 330 GT 2+2 and the more hardcore 275 GTB. The 330 GTC used the same steering, suspension, and transmission as the 275 GTB. These changes, coupled with a wheelbase that was 10 inches shorter than the 330 GT 2+2, made the GTC much more dynamic to drive. Perhaps the most sporting characteristic of the 330 was its engine. The 330 GTC's Colombo V-12 produced 300 horsepower, and its top speed was 150 mph, with a 0--60 mph time of under 7 seconds; the 330 GTC was no slouch.

Design elements from the car's ancestors are evident in the bodywork; the 330's tail was first used on the 275 GTS, while the body, which is ahead of the cabin, is very similar in style to the limited production 500 Superfast for the Series II variant. With the shorter wheelbase, the 330 GTC lost its rear seats and gained a rear luggage shelf in its place. Like the beautiful 250 Lusso, the 330 GTC had very thin A and B pillars, giving the cabin an open feeling and incredible visibility from all angles. At the end of the 330 series' production run, total numbers for the GTC stood at 598.

According to the records of noted Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, the 330 GTC offered here, chassis number 10745, was delivered new to Luigi Chinetti Motors, in New York City, wearing Azzuro paint and a Nero Franzi interior. Massini's records show that on April 30, 1970, Chinetti paid the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company $2,725 for the 330 GTC in "damaged" condition. Chinetti later paid Crepaldi Automobili in Milan, Italy, $4,800 for repairs completed the following year.

After its refurbishment, this 330 GTC passed through the hands of two owners in New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut during the 1970s, and it ended up in San Diego, California, where it appeared in the Ferrari Market Letter, offered for sale by the Fine Car Store in 1989. The advertisement boasted a new paint job in red, while still retaining the original black leather interior, and both are in fantastic condition. As of 1995, chassis 10745 was registered to a Y. Ajisaka, in Japan, on license plates appropriately titled '330,' and it was shown by the owner at the Ferrari Club Japan meeting at the Suzuka International Racing Course that same year.

This 330 GTC still resides in Japan, where its current owner took the time to have the car certified with Ferrari Classiche, ensuring that all of its mechanical components are original and up to Ferrari factory specifications. The certification process, pictures, and associated documents are included in the Classiche binder that bears the chassis number of the car, and they are all included in the sale. Also included in the sale are the original owner's manual and service books for this specific 330 GTC.

As the popularity and prices of 330-series Ferraris climb, this 330 GTC presents a fantastic opportunity to experience what Ferraris are all about: an un-paralleled driving experience both on and off the race track. Famed Ferrari Formula One driver Phil Hill would even go on to call the 330 GTC "the best road going Ferrari ever built," a testament to its fantastic driving characteristic. Originally finished in the highly attractive scheme of Azzuro and Nero Franzi interior, this particular 330 GTC would be an excellent candidate to return back to its original colors and enjoy at concours events, or it will surely prove to be a fantastic driver and investment for its next owner.

Robert Myrick Photography