Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (1963)
Arguably the most beautiful product ever to carry the Maranello marque’s prancing horse emblem, the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta debuted at the Paris Salon in October 1962. Styled by Pininfarina and built by Scaglietti, the Lusso (luxury) combined race-track looks with new standards of passenger comfort. Beautifully proportioned, the new 250GT blended a low-slung nose with sculpted Kamm tail by means of some of the most exquisite lines yet seen on an automobile. Slim pillars and wide expanses of glass not only enhanced the car’s outward appearance, but made for excellent visibility and a pleasantly light and airy interior.
The Lusso was the last of the successful 250GT line which established Ferrari as a volume manufacturer of road cars, and includes some of the most sought after Ferrari’s such as the 250SWB and 250GTO. The chassis followed Ferrari’s established practice, comprising a multi-tubular frame tied together by oval main tubes, with independent front suspension by means of wishbones and coil springs. A four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox transmitted power to the leaf-sprung live rear axle – the latter featuring Watts linkage location like the GTO’s – while braking was looked after by four-wheel discs. Borrani 15” -diameter wire wheels were standard equipment.
The Lusso’s engine was the light and compact Colombo-designed 3-litre V12. Breathing through three twin-choke Weber carburettors, the single-overhead-camshaft all-aluminium unit produced 240bhp and 7,500rpm, giving the Lusso a top speed of 150mph and a useful 0-100mph acceleration time of 19.5 seconds.
This Italian-registered Ferrari 250 has a matching chassis and engine number of 4469, whilst its originality is further supported with a FIVA Identity card. It was part of a small private collection of high-quality cars in the 80’s before it underwent restoration work in Milan. Since then the car has successfully competed in two historic Tour de France rallies, before making its way to the UK when the previous owner purchased it from a Monaco auction in 1997.
The current owner acquired the car in 2007 to be part of a special collection of cars to be driven and enjoyed. In 2020 the decision was made to give it a new lease of life with a complete Barkaways restoration, taking the car to concours condition.
The restoration included taking the 250 back to bare metal to restore the shell and carry out the bodywork required, bringing the beautiful body back to absolute perfection. The car was then repainted back to its original colour of black, having been painted blue in recent years. Following repainting, the car was then carefully rebuilt with newly sourced or refurbished components throughout, including overhauling the suspension and a full engine and gearbox rebuild. Meanwhile, O'Rourke Coachtrimmers retrimmed the interior with period tan Connolly leather.
The completed restoration was presented for the first time at the 2022 Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance.
