1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

This 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso is the 32^nd of 350 examples manufactured during an 18-month production run and was completed on May 24, 1963, before being delivered new to its first owner via Crepaldi in Milan, Italy. By the early 1980s, chassis 4421 had been relocated to the US, where it was fitted with a 3.3-liter Colombo V12 from a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB. The car later underwent a refurbishment that included a repaint in black before being purchased in 2000 by its prior owner, who commissioned additional refurbishment work by Patrick Ottis of Berkeley, California, between the early 2000s and 2014. The project is said to have included overhauls of the engine, triple Weber carburetors, four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, and suspension as well as a paint correction, a re-trim of the interior in tan leather, and a refresh of the 15” Borrani wire wheels. This 250 GT Lusso was purchased by the seller on BaT in October 2023 and is now offered in Georgia with a clean South Carolina title in the seller’s name.

The 250 GT Lusso was introduced at the 1962 Paris Motor Show as Ferrari’s final road-oriented offering in the 250 series of sports cars and grand tourers that originated in 1952. Positioned in Ferrari’s lineup as a balance between the luxury-focused GTE 2+2 and the sportier GT SWB, the GT Lusso shared the latter’s 2,400mm-wheelbase tube-frame chassis and featured Scaglietti-built steel bodywork with aluminum opening panels. Styling was handled by Pininfarina and incorporated a low-profile nose with a wide egg-crate grille, a fastback rear profile, and a Kamm tail with an integrated spoiler.

Originally finished in blue, this example is said to have been refinished in Garnet before receiving a repaint in black by Berlinetta Motorcars Ltd. of New York in the late 1990s. A paint correction was reportedly carried out during the refurbishment completed in 2014, which also included re-plating the chrome brightwork. Features include a three-piece front bumper with vertical side segments, yellow driving lights, a low-profile intake scoop, and quad exhaust outlets. Bubbling of the paint is noted on the lower front corner of the passenger-side door, while blistering is present at the lower rear of one of the quarter panels. The wiper motor was repaired under current ownership.

The 15″ Borrani wire wheels are said to have been refurbished under previous ownership and are secured via replacement three-eared knockoffs. Pirelli Cinturato CA-67 tires measuring 185R15 and showing 2010 date codes are mounted at each corner as well as on the matching spare. A refresh of the vacuum-assisted four-wheel disc brakes was carried out under prior ownership and included rebuilds of the calipers and booster as well as installation of replacement copper-plated steel lines. The gasket on the brake fluid container was replaced, and the fluid was flushed, under current ownership.

The cabin was reupholstered under previous ownership with tan leather over a pair of fixed-back bucket seats with a matching center console, rear shelf, and door panels. Additional features include black carpeting, black dash upholstery, roll-up windows, and a Pininfarina ashtray.

The Nardi wood-rimmed steering has been refurbished and sits to the left of a Veglia 300-km/h speedometer and 8k-rpm tachometer positioned at the center of the dash. The instrumentation is said to have been rebuilt under previous ownership, and auxiliary meters situated ahead of the steering wheel include a clock and gauges monitoring fuel level, coolant temperature, oil temperature, and oil pressure. The five-digit odometer shows 82k kilometers (~51k miles), approximately 25 kilometers of which were added under current ownership. The coolant temperature gauge is inaccurate.

The replacement 3.3-liter V12 was reportedly removed from a 275 GTB in the 1960s before being relocated to the UK in 1970 and later returning to the US, where it spent time in Massachusetts and Arizona before being installed in chassis 4421 circa the late 1980s. It was overhauled in 2007 by Patrick Ottis, and work included re-jetting the triple Weber 40 DCZ6 carburetors, rebuilding the fuel pumps, and re-plating the hardware and fasteners. The carburetors were rebuilt in 2004, and additional service in the early 2000s included refreshes of the radiator, water pump, and fuel tank. The fuel rail seals were replaced and the starter was repaired since the seller’s 2023 purchase.

The four-speed manual transmission is also said to have been overhauled during the refurbishment under previous ownership, which included replacing the clutch assembly. The limited-slip differential was rebuilt in the late 1990s. A suspension refresh performed by Patrick Ottis included replacing the Koni shock absorbers and bushings as well as powder-coating the front control arms and sway bars. The steering linkage was also powder coated, while the steering gearbox was rebuilt.

The VIN on the South Carolina title is listed as 250GTL4421.