The 275 series produced from 1964 to 1967 were the final development of the design philosophy that carried Ferrari’s aspirations from the ashes of WWII to the world beating successes on the race track and in the market place. About 796 Berlinetta bodies were hand crafted by Scaglietti during a three year production span. These were the last of the pre-Fiat era of production cars at Ferrari and they embodied everything that Ferrari had striven for and much he had learned on the track in the preceding 10 years. It was the car that Ferrari and his engineers thought you needed, not the car you thought you wanted. The Colombo designed V12 in production for two decades was stretched to a 3.3 liter displacement and equipped on the four cams with six dual throat Weber’s and a dry sump oiling system.

Clothed in a design penned by the great Batista Farina, the 275 Berlinetta incorporated a long hood, small air intake, streamlined covered headlights, and the short truncated rear, all reminiscent of the fantastic preceding 250 TdF and 250 GTO Berlinettas. This aesthetic classicism combined with a luxurious interior made this very sporting machine one of the world’s top sports cars. Indeed Motor Trend Classic named the 275 GTB/GTS as number three in their list of the ten "Greatest Ferraris of all time". And In 2004, Sports Car International named the 275 GTB/4 number seven on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s. You cannot exhibit one of these Berlinettas at a car show without having several spectators, who were not born when the 275 Berlinetta was introduced 44 years ago, tell you that it is their favorite Ferrari. Its design is timeless.

But it gets better, beneath that gorgeous body are mechanical developments based upon 30 years of race car development. The 275’s were the first road Ferraris to have fully independent suspension, a rear mounted transaxle for near 50-50 weight distribution, and the use of light weight alloy cast wheels to reduce unsprung weight. These chassis and gearbox innovations were a direct adaptation of the developments that brought so much success to Ferrari with his sports/racing cars. The 5-speed rear mounted transaxle had been utilized on the single seat F1 and then on the sports/racing cars in the 50’s. The 14” cast light alloy wheels recreated the design used on the 156 Formula 1 of 1963.

Finally, in 1966, for the last 330 Berlinettas, Ferrari developed a four overhead cam head, derived from the 3.3 and 4 liter engines of the 275 and 330 P2 prototypes of the 1965 racing season. While this new type 226 engine had the same dimensions of the earlier 275 type 213, it incorporated some significant differences. The heads now had valves which were directly actuated without the intermediary rocker arms. Six twin choke Weber’s became standard and provided ample aspiration and the resulting power available afforded remarkable mid-range torque and flexibility. Importantly for a high revving engine, the reduction of windage losses and increased cooling capacity for those 140mph Autostrada sprints was accomplished with a dry sump, as used on the earlier 13 competition 275 GTB/C’s. Oil capacity went up from 11 quarts to 17 quarts.

What did all these refinements deliver? Let’s ask a real owner/expert. Dick Irish was an American gentleman racing driver from Kansas City who campaigned a 375 Ferrari in SCCA events against Bill Spear, Carroll Shelby and Jim Kimberly. Dick finally saved enough money to afford a four cam and arranged in October 1967 to stay in Maranello to personally oversee his 275 GTB/4 being built. He recounts the many interesting experiences, in the Ferrari Club Magazine, Prancing Horse, #32 in 1971. His final factory thrill was riding with the test driver, and as he said: “would you believe we traversed Modena and the surrounding country side at never under 5 grand in any gear.

He left the factory in his “new” Ferrari showing 119 miles of road testing. When leaving Italy after 5,000 miles he told his factory friends “It is all I had hoped for except it is much more civilized than I had imaged” In the first year he drove it, 42,000 miles on two continents. As he said the car is a true Gran Turismo in every way. With a 400 mile range, he went 398 on one tank; long distances can be covered quickly. He did have problems with “loose” undercoating. It was too brittle for 100+mph driving on roads sanded to combat ice and snow! In 1970 he drove from Tulsa to Canada and Niagara fall and back via Detroit and Chicago, with his Yellow Labrador behind the seats. By June 1971 the 4 cam had 82,462 miles on several sets of tires and several minor problems had arisen, but a clutch pressure plate at 79,000 miles was about the only major repair. As he contemplated his 4 year odyssey, he said “the voluptuous, almost animalist lines Scagletti gave the275 GTB/4 made me realize that Ferraris are the ultimate in Grand Touring.”

9511

This car, 9511, the 83rd made, with body #A0084, is a well documented car with complete ownership history. Originally delivered in New York, by 1967 it was advertised by Kirk White in Philadelphia as having covered 13,000 miles, and finished in Silver with black leather interior, with a grill guard and power windows. In the early 1980s, after a couple of owners, it became part of a well known collection. This owner undertook a complete and no expenses spared restoration at 45,348 miles. Shelton Ferrari the authorized Ferrari dealer for Southern Florida spent 2 years, 1985-1987, rebuilding the car back to like new condition. The restoration was overseen by Don Andrews, a long term employee, who himself owned an alloy cam cam, 9609, for over a decade in the 1970s and judged at many Ferrari Concours. The work was largely done by Al Roberts, a well known, excellent and respected Ferrari mechanic. Many new parts were sourced and replaced such as cams, exhaust manifolds, brake booster, shocks, and much else. The parts used are all detailed on a 13 pages list. Color was again changed from red to its present black and a new black leather interior was fitted. Total cost was $117,000, at today’s prices over $230,000, not taking into account that the parts are now not available and if they were, they would be quadruple what they cost in 1986.
Since it was finished the car has been well maintained for 19 years in the owner’s museum/garage, under climate controlled conditions. Less than 1000 miles have accumulated since the restoration.

These 1967 four cams are now eligible for many International driving events such as the Tour de France, the Copperstate 1000, and the factory tours. As a factory spokesman said about the 2004 275 Italian tour organized to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of its most iconic models: “The idea of holding a rally for the Ferrari 275 stemmed from this model’s successful past, on both road and track, especially in hill climbs and endurance races, in fact, it represents the essence of Ferrari at that time: a car designed for road use, but built with totally sporting pretensions.” Starting from Maranello’s Fiorano test track, it included an unusual mix of competitive events on road sections where the 275 underwent its first trials and where it also scored its first important wins, with stops in some of the most prestigious Tuscan homes, usually closed to the public but now open to offer a unique and exclusive experience. The International appeal of the 275 drew 56 entries from the: USA, Japan, Hong Kong, South Africa and Europe. So who needs gold bars to diversify a portfolio, when you can enjoy one of Ferraris most important models, touring some of the finest estates of Tuscany?