1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2

Lot details
Registration No: 184 YUD
Chassis No: 6685
Mot Expiry: Oct 2017

- Offered from the stable of one of the UK's foremost Ferrari collectors

- 1 of just 453 LHD Series 1 cars made and supplied new to the USA via Luigi Chinetti

- Restored to an unusually high standard for a 330GT 2+2. E.g. photo documented, bare metal bodywork restoration (2006-2009), steering brakes and suspension refurbished (2009) and engine and gearbox overhauled (2014)

`Many dismiss 2+2s as being too soft and too weak to be considered real Ferraris. But what they offer is perhaps the perfect compromise: V12 power and GT comfort without the price tag of a two-seater. Overlooked and understated, the 330 GT 2+2 is quite possibly one of the last remaining `budget' V12 Ferraris' (K500.com)

Making its public debut at the January 1964 Brussels Motor Show (though, production had commenced late the previous year), the 330 GT 2+2 was an important model for Ferrari. The sales success of its 250 GTE 2+2 predecessor had proven that there was a definite market for machinery which offered Ferrari's customary performance levels but in a more discrete and practical package. Enzo himself is known to have favoured his company's 2+2 designs when it came to personal transport so perhaps unsurprisingly the newcomer's longer wheelbase Tipo 571 chassis heralded notable improvements in ride quality and braking efficiency. Featuring independent double wishbone front suspension and a leaf-sprung rear axle with twin radius arms per side, the 330 GT 2+2 also boasted a front anti-roll bar and adjustable Koni shock absorbers. The four-wheel disc brake system was operated via a twin master cylinder, dual servos and two fluid reservoirs meaning that the front and rear discs each had their own dedicated circuit. Revised engine mounts ensured that the incoming Tipo 209 3967cc V12 was less intrusive than when it had been installed aboard the short-lived 330 America (the last of the line 250 GTE 2+2 derivative which accounted for just 50 sales). Derived from Gioacchino Colombo's iconic design, the imposing SOHC powerplant was credited with developing 300bhp and 288lbft of torque. Allied to four-speed manual plus overdrive transmission, it reputedly enabled the Ferrari to sprint from 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds and onto 152mph. Styled by Tom Tjaarda of Pininfarina, the 330 GT 2+2 sported a generous glasshouse, well resolved silhouette and distinctive quad headlamps. The latter were a trend that American manufacturers had popularised and which even Rolls-Royce and Bentley had adopted. Though, they also facilitated faster `after dark' motoring. Supplanted by the more generic looking Series II in 1965, only 503 Series I 330 GT 2+2s were made (plus 124 interim cars).

One of 453 Series I examples built to left-hand drive specification, chassis 6685 was supplied new by Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc of Greenwich, Connecticut. Migrating to New Jersey the following decade, it is known to have belonged to John M. Walbridge Jr before being imported to the UK by R.M. Wilson Engineering of Cosby, Leicestershire during July 1988. Purchased by the vendor from John Boyes through Mr Wilson's agency some eighteen years later, the Ferrari was fundamentally sound and complete but in need of a restoration. Something of a perfectionist not to mention a dyed in the wool marque enthusiast, the seller chose to have the Ferrari stripped back to bare metal without concern to the financial viability of his actions. Accompanying photos show that new inner and outer sills were painstakingly crafted for the car as were new floor sections and various bodywork repair panels. Re-sprayed in its initial Dark Red livery and re-trimmed in Light Tan leather with Red carpets, chassis 6685 also had its bumpers re-chromed, original Borrani wire wheels rejuvenated and stainless steel brightwork re-polished. The steering, suspension and brakes were all properly attended to in July 2009 and a new stainless steel exhaust fitted prior to the car being UK road registered as `184 YUD' during April 2011. Further benefiting from a thorough engine and gearbox overhaul not to mention engine bay detailing at the hands of marque specialist Vic Cartmel some three years later, this particular example has enjoyed a far more extensive and higher quality restoration than most of its surviving siblings. Starting readily upon inspection and remaining highly presentable, it seems crazy to think that a `matching numbers' Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 in this condition can be bought for the same money as a tired Aston Martin DB6 Automatic! Given that the Prancing Horse is the rarer, faster and better handling motorcar we would not bet against the market correcting such an anomaly in time. Worthy of close inspection, `184 YUD' is offered for sale with UK V5C Registration Document, 330 Register excerpt, `no advisories' MOT certificate valid until October 2017, sundry other paperwork and numerous restoration photos.