FERRARI

Presented at the 1966 Paris Motor Show and equipped, as its name suggests, with four overhead camshafts, the 275 GTB/4 was the first road-going Ferrari so equipped. Although it had the same dimensions, its V12 differed in many respects from the single-shaft engine in that it had a bank of cylinders (including the presence of a dry sump). Fitted with six twin Weber carburettors, it produced 300 bhp at 8,000 rpm, mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Compared with the previous evolution of the GTB, the GTB/4 was recognisable from the outside by the central boss on its bonnet. Its career was short-lived due to the closure of the American market because of anti-pollution standards.

The history of the 330 GTC is rather complex, or at least not the easiest to understand! In 1965, Ferrari was looking for a way to offer a car that would fit between the 330GT 2+2 and the 275 GTB. The decision-makers at the prancing-horse firm, in partnership with Pininfarina, decided to take the 275 GTS (available on the American market) and create a capped version for customers on the Old Continent. The result was the 330 GTC, with lines reminiscent of its predecessor, the Ferrari 250 GT 2+2, whose lineage was inaugurated in 1960 with the 250 GT 2+2, then the first 4-seater GT of its kind.

The little-known Ferrari 330 GTS is an extraordinary car that combines simple, refined pleasures with all the magic that a real Ferrari can offer. Typical of a true grand tourer, it offers a generous, comfortable cabin that encourages long, slightly sporty drives. If the Pininfarina-designed lines are a feast for the eyes, the ears are also in for a treat with a beautiful symphony. That of a V12 developing an impressive 300 bhp. Even if pure performance is not its primary objective, it nevertheless allows itself to reach 240 km/h with a rocky, liberated sound.

The 275 GTB built by Carrozzeria Scaglietti was Pininfarina’s last creation, supervised by Pinin himself, and although it may have seemed austere at the time, its classicism, severe elegance and dynamic ‘response’ soon silenced the critics, especially as, with little preparation, it competed successfully. To be more competitive, Ferrari launched the 275 GTB/C in the spring of 1966 with an aluminium body still manufactured by Scaglietti. However, this car was never entered officially and was run in the Prototipo category, as shown by the ‘P’ on the bodywork.

When the 275 GTB came out, Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s importer in the United States, asked Enzo Ferrari to produce a sportier Spider than the 275 GTS, the convertible version assembled by Pinin Farina of the berlinetta that had succeeded the 250 GT. But the Italian-American was turned down by the Commendatore. He turned to Sergio Scaglietti, the famous Maranello coachbuilder in charge of Ferrari racing cars, to build a batch of spiders reserved for him. Scaglietti transformed ten cars in 1967. An unofficial production, this series was never included in the marque’s catalogue. Although not officially recognised by Maranello, the Spider NART was nonetheless one of the most attractive Ferraris of the 1960s.

The Ferrari 365, whose name refers to its unit capacity, was the successor to the 330. Presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1967, it was not until the following year that the first deliveries of the 4-seater coupé took place. Aesthetically, Pininfarina stuck to a typical 60s style, drawing inspiration from the 500 Superfast as well as his own work on the 330 GTC, specially built for the Princess of Réthy. In terms of length, this 2+2 is imposing. This is due as much to its immense sloping bonnet as to its gigantic rear trunk, designed to accommodate the belongings of its four occupants. The tradition of very long exhausts is respected, and while the front end is almost a copy/paste of the Superfast (lights, bumper, grille), the rear is more specific to the new 365, despite the reminder of the three round lights.

In February 1967, after a humiliating defeat by Ford in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June 1966, the Commendatore led his team to a hat-trick of victories in the Daytona 24 Hours. Phew! The family crest had been honoured. That’s all it took for this epic duel to indirectly spill over into production GTs with the new 365 GTB/4, which the public quickly nicknamed ‘Daytona’ in memory of this hat-trick of victories. It was a name that was never officially adopted, as the Commendatore refused to accept it. The Daytona, though classic and almost criticised when it was first launched in the face of the more innovative Lamborghini Miura, would over time become a true classic of the brand. With its sublime lines, its incomparable V12 engine and its performance that is still exceptional so many years later, it represents the archetype of the long-distance GT. It was the last front-engined GT in the range before the return of the 550 Maranello.

The ‘Dino’ trademark was created in 1964, partly to pay tribute to the late son and partly to legitimise an affordable entry-level model for Ferrari, without damaging the Ferrari name and reputation. The aluminium body, designed by Pinifarina stylist Aldo Brovarone, was produced by Scaglietti and mounted on a tubular chassis dear to Enzo Ferrari. With its attractive lines, the Dino 206 GT had a highly aerodynamic profile. The only difference from the Dino 206 GT prototype exhibited in Turin in 1967 was that the headlamp bubbles were dropped. The Dino is relatively light, with the Ferrari factory (always very optistic) claiming an unladen weight of 900 kg on the scale. In reality, the car was just over a tonne but still had an interesting power-to-weight ratio. Marketed as a low-cost model (for a Ferrari, that is), the Dino is priced at less than €15,000. The downside, visible in places, is the use of numerous Fiat components in the Dino’s cockpit.

A car in a class of their own in the Ferrari chronology, the Dino 246 GT coupés enjoy a strong following among enthusiasts despite their initial status as ‘popular Ferraris’. Created specifically for the small V6 engine designed by Enzo’s son, the Dino brand was intended to be more accessible than Ferrari. It was the first road-going Ferrari not to be equipped with a V12 engine, which earned it the nickname of ‘poor man’s Ferrari’… at the time. A bad publicity stunt for the brand’s purists, but it didn’t spoil the renown of this model, portrayed by actor Tony Curtis in the famous TV series “Amicalement Vôtre”…

Heir to the 330 GTC, the 365 GTC was not distinguished by its revolutionary shape, since only a few mechanical changes were made. It fell out of favour (only 168 units were sold in the two short years it was in production), and was overshadowed by the success and bold silhouette of the Daytona. The 365 GTC is recognisable by the bonnet vents that replaced those on the wings.