The Ferrari 250 is a sports car built by Ferrari from 1953 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series included several variants. Nearly all 250s share the same Colombo Tipo 125 V12 engine. At 2,953 cc (180 cu in), it was notable for its light weight and impressive output of up to 300 PS (221 kW; 296 hp) in the Testa Rossa and GTO. The V12 weighed hundreds of pounds less than its chief competitors. (wikipedia)
Car designer Bertone rarely designed for Ferrari. Most of the Ferrari's were styled by Pininfarina, a rival company. Bertone, however, did design two one-ofs for Ferrari in the 60s based on their 250GT SWB chassis. This prototype (chassis #1739GT) is one of them. This is the other one.
At Bertone, this chassis was graced with a one-off body that was designed by an individual who would become a hugely influential automotive designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro. He is credited with designing many notable sports cars, including the Iso Grifo, the BMW M1, and both the Maserati Ghibli and the Bora. Fitted with a brushed stainless steel roof, rockers, and front and rear valences. At the front, a one-off wire mesh was constructed, headlights were fitted, and a Ferrari badge that was larger than usual was installed on the hood. Another interesting detail is the installation of a “clam shell” style hood, which allowed the hood and fenders to be flipped forward to expose the entire engine and front portion of the chassis. The front three-quarter panels on either side of the body were adorned with badges that read “Prototype EW". To many Ferraristi, this design looks somewhat akin to the later 250 GT/L ‘Lusso'. The interior was lavish and adorned with rolled, pleated, and fully adjustable folding seats, a unique “pistol grip” gear lever, electric windows, and a full set of fitted luggage. The speedometer and tachometer were placed centrally on the dashboard, directly over the transmission tunnel. The car was sold for $7,040,000 in 2013.(rmauctions.com)
(Photos from rmauctions.com)
