Ferrari 250 GTO

thumb|Rear view of 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis 3451GT)

The Ferrari 250 GTO is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari from 1962 to 1964 for homologation into the FIA's Group 3 Grand Touring Car category. It was powered by Ferrari's Tipo 168/62 Colombo V12 engine. The "250" denotes the displacement in cubic centimeters of each of its cylinders; "GTO" stands for Gran Turismo Omologato, Italian for "Grand Touring Homologated".

Just 36 of the 250 GTOs were manufactured between 1962 and 1964. This includes 33 cars with 1962–63 bodywork (Series I) and three with 1964 (Series II) bodywork similar to the Ferrari 250 LM. Four of the older 1962–1963 (Series I) cars were updated in 1964 with Series II bodies.

When new, the 250 GTO cost $18,000 in the United States, with buyers personally approved by Enzo Ferrari and his dealer for North America, Luigi Chinetti. This model has become highly desired by collectors and sales have repeatedly set price records. The current record for world's most expensive Ferrari was set in June 2018 when a 1963 250 GTO (chassis 4153GT) was sold in a private sale for $70 million.

In 2004, Sports Car International placed the 250 GTO eighth on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s, and nominated it the top sports car of all time. Similarly, Motor Trend Classic placed the 250 GTO first on a list of the "Greatest Ferraris of All Time". Popular Mechanics named it the "Hottest Car of All Time".

Design and development

alt=Close-up of a racing car engine|thumb|left|[[Ferrari Colombo engine#250|Tipo 168/62 Colombo V12 engine]]

The 250 GTO was designed to compete in Group 3 GT racing, where its rivals would include the Shelby Cobra, Jaguar E-Type and Aston Martin DP214. The development of the 250 GTO was headed by chief engineer Giotto Bizzarrini. Although Bizzarrini is usually credited as the designer of the 250 GTO, he and most other Ferrari engineers were fired in 1962 due to a dispute with Enzo Ferrari. Further development of the 250 GTO was overseen by new engineer Mauro Forghieri, who worked with Scaglietti to continue development of the body. The design of the car was a collaborative effort and cannot be ascribed to a single person.

The mechanical aspects of 250 GTO were relatively conservative at the time of its introduction, using engine and chassis components that were proven in earlier competition cars. The chassis of the car was based on that of the 250 GT SWB, with minor differences in frame structure and geometry to reduce weight, stiffen and lower the chassis. The car was built around a hand-welded oval tube frame, incorporating A-arm front suspension, rear live-axle with Watt's linkage, disc brakes, and Borrani wire wheels. The engine was the race-proven Tipo 168/62 Comp. V12 as used in the 250 Testa Rossa Le Mans winner. An all-alloy design utilizing a dry sump and six 38DCN Weber carburetors, it produced approximately at 7500 rpm and at 5500 rpm of torque. The gearbox was a new 5-speed unit with Porsche-type synchromesh.

Prototypes

As the 250 GTO was heavily derived from the earlier 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, Ferrari engineers constructed two 250 GTO prototypes in 1961 by converting existing chassis of this type. During the course of the race, Ferrari engineers gathered information about the performance of the car which was used to modify and improve it, including the addition of a rear spoiler. During the Le Mans race, 2643GT suffered from high-speed instability, possibly due to the front end design. Subsequently, it was sold to N.A.R.T. and a succession of private owners.

The second prototype was also constructed from a donor car, although sources disagree on the chassis number and type. Several older sources mention the donor as a 1960 250 GT SWB, chassis 2053GT. Alternatively, other sources have claimed that a 250 GT Boano (0523GT) or a 1959 250 GT SWB (1791GT) was used as the donor car. This prototype was created entirely by the Ferrari factory's racing department under the oversight of Giotto Bizzarrini, including the bodywork. The original chassis was extensively modified, including relocation of the engine mounts lower and further back in the frame. A competition-specification engine was fitted, including six Weber 38 DCN carburetors. The bodywork seen on the second prototype in period photos was rough, unfinished aluminium. The body's ungainly appearance lead the Ferrari team to nickname it "Il Mostro" (the Monster) and the press to call it "The Anteater". Hammer marks, weld beads and bolted or riveted panels could be seen throughout, evidence of the continual modifications performed during factory testing in 1961. Although the body was crudely formed, it displayed features that would be seen in the production 250 GTO, including the overall profile of a low hood and high rear, triple front air intakes, engine bay cooling slots in the front fenders and plexiglass-covered headlights. The interior was hastily constructed and even more minimal than in the production 250 GTO, with scattered instrumentation and a bare aluminium dashboard.

Three 330 GTO specials were made using the 250 GTO chassis and body fitted with 400 Superamerica 4.0-liter motors. Distinguished by a larger bonnet bulge, these cars were used briefly for racing and testing by Scuderia Ferrari before being sold to private customers. Some sources include these cars in the total number of 250 GTOs produced, increasing that number from 36 to 39.

The 330 LMB is sometimes considered a GTO variant. These cars used a 4.0-liter 330 motor and a modified 250 GT Lusso chassis/body. Four were produced in 1963.

Three 275 GTB/C Speciales were built in 1964/65. Despite their origins as competition versions of the 275 GTB, they are sometimes considered developments of the 250 GTO due to similarity of configuration and bodywork.

The Ferrari 250 GT SWB Breadvan was a one-off racing car designed for Scuderia Serenissima by Bizzarrini after his departure from Ferrari. It was developed specifically to compete against the then-new 250 GTO. Although based on the earlier 250 GT Berlinetta SWB, the Breadvan provided an opportunity for Bizzarrini to develop the ideas he had first explored with the GTO, such as lower and more aerodynamic bodywork, incorporation of a dry sump, and radical lightening of the entire car.

Racing

alt=Five racing cars in line, taking a right-hand corner on a race track|thumb|Four 250 GTOs and one 330 GTO (second to last car) at the 2012 [[Goodwood Revival]]

thumb|left|250 GTO (chassis 3809GT) driven by Kalman von Czazy and Karl Foitek during the 1963 [[1000km Nürburgring|alt=Black and white photo of a sports car number 48 driving left to right, foreground speed-blurred]]

The 250 GTO's racing debut was at the 1962 12 Hours of Sebring, driven by American Phil Hill (the Formula One World Driving Champion at the time) and Belgian Olivier Gendebien. Although originally annoyed that they were driving a GT-class car instead of one of the full-race 250 Testa Rossas competing in the prototype class, the experienced pair impressed themselves (and everyone else) by finishing second overall behind the Testa Rossa of Bonnier and Scarfiotti.

Ferrari would go on to win the over 2000cc class of the FIA's International Championship for GT Manufacturers in 1962, 1963, and 1964, the 250 GTO being raced in each of those years. 250 GTOs also won the 1963 and 1964 Tour de France Automobile, marking Ferrari's nine year dominance of that race. Ferrari built only 36 250 GTOs (33 of the 1962-design Series I cars and three 1964-design Series II cars, with revised bodywork). The additional three "330 GTO" cars with the four-litre 330 engine —recognizable by the large hump on the bonnet— are sometimes included in the overall production number, bringing the total to 39. It became a popular myth that when FIA inspectors showed up to confirm that 100 examples had been built, Enzo Ferrari shuffled the same cars between different locations, thus giving the impression that the full complement of 100 cars was present. In reality, no deception was required, as the production of the 250 GTO was covered by the homologation of the earlier 250 GT Berlinetta SWB model. These homologation papers were issued in 1960, but extensions were applied for and accepted multiple times between 1961 and 1964, allowing Ferrari to add modifications not covered under the original specification, including changes to the engine, transmission, and suspension. The current record for world's most expensive Ferrari was set in June 2018 when a 1963 250 GTO (chassis 4153GT) was sold to David MacNeil in a private sale for $70 million.

Price History

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"

|+Ferrari 250 GTO Price History, 1962-2018

!Year

!Price (USD)

!Sold or advertised at this price

!Chassis Number (if known)

!Notes

|1962

|18,500

|Sold

|Selling price from factory when new

|1965

|4,000

|Sold

|3851GT

|Purchased from Ernesto Prinoth by Fabrizio Violati.

|1965

|10,500

|Sold

|1966

|7,000

|Sold

|3647GT

|Purchased by James McNeil from Robert Sauers in Springfield, Massachusetts.

|1968

|6,500

|Advertised

|15 June, a 1962 example was advertised in Autoweek.

|1969

|2,500

|Sold

|3223GT

|Sold at Kruse International auction. The lowest documented price a GTO ever changed hands for, well below the $6k to $8.5k market price of the time.

|1969

|5,400

|Sold

|3387GT

|Purchased by Kirk F. White of Pennsylvania, USA.

|1970

|8,500

|Advertised

|4757GT

|Advertised in the LA Times.

|1970

|7,780

|Advertised

|Advertised in Road & Track by Tom Meade of Modena, Italy. The 1962 GTO was one of several Ferraris offered by Meade in the ad.

|1971

|9,500

|Advertised

|Advertised by Algar Ferrari in Autoweek

|1971

|9,900

|Advertised

|Advertised in Road & Track

|1971

|6,000

|Sold

|3589GT

|The car was auctioned by Victoria High School in Texas, US. It had been donated to the school seven years prior.

|1971

|12,000

|Advertised

|Advertised by KFW Motorcars in Paoli, Pennsylvania, US.

|1973

|17,500

|Sold

|1974

|28,000

|Sold

|1975

|13,000

|Sold

|3387GT

|Purchased by Stephen Griswold of Berkeley, California, US.

|1978

|90,000

|Sold

|3987GT

|Car in good original condition. Sale occurred circa August 1978, said to be the last known sub-$100k sale.

|1978

|125,000

|Sold

|3387GT

|Purchased by Mark De Friece. Price quoted as either $250,000 or $345,000.

|1983

|300,000

|Sold

|1984

|500,000

|Sold

|1985

|650,000

|Sold

|3987GT

|Purchased by Ralph Lauren.

|1986

|1,000,000

|Sold

|3589GT

|1987

|1,600,000

|Sold

|4757GT

|Sold at FBI Auction

|1990

|13,000,000

|Sold

|1993

|3,250,000

|Sold

|4219GT

|1994

|3,500,000

|Sold

|3909GT

|Sold to David Morisson of London, UK

|1996

|3,500,000

|Advertised

|3445GT

|Advertised by SMC of La Jolla, California, US.

|1997

|2,200,000

|Sold

|1998

|6,000,000

|Sold

|3729GT

|2000

|7,000,000

|Sold

|3413GT

|Purchased by Greg Whitten.

|2004

|10,600,000

|Sold

|3223GT

|2007

|22,000,000

|Sold

|5095GT

|Sold to William Ainscough of the UK.

|2008

|22,763,611

|Sold

|5095GT

|Sold to Jon Hunt of London, UK.

|2010

|17,700,000

|Sold

|4675GT

|Purchased by BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans. Sale price includes value of cars given in trade, quoted as 17 to 17.7 million USD total value.

|2012

|31,700,000

|Sold

|5095GT

|Believed to be the largest single car transaction in the UK at the time.

|2013

|52,000,000

|Sold

|5111GT

|Sold to an unknown buyer by Paul Pappalardo in a private sale.

|2014

|38,115,000

|Sold

|3851GT

|Sold by the Fabrizio Violati estate at Bonham's 2014 Quail Lodge auction in Carmel, California, USA.

|2016

|56,800,000

|Advertised

|3387GT

|Advertised by Talacrest UK.

|2017

|44,000,000

|Sold

|3387GT

|Sold by Bernard Carl in private sale to Gregor Fisken.

|2018

|48,405,000

|Sold

|3413GT

|Sold by Greg Whitten in 2018 at RM Sotheby's in Monterey, California, US. A special website has been created.

|2026

|38,500,000

|Sold

|3729GT

|Bianco Speciale sold via Mecum Auctions Florida on 17 January 2026 to collector David Lee. A special website was created.

Chassis numbers

{| class="wikitable" width="auto" style="text-align: center"

! Chassis No.

! Build Date

! Driveside

! Factory Colour

! Current Location

! Comments

| 2053GT

| 2 August 1960

| LHD

| Grey with brown stripe then Rosso Cina

| Unknown

|Prototype of the GTO tested by Stirling Moss in Monza. Badly damaged in the 1962 Nürburgring 1000 km, later rebodied by Carrozzeria Sports Cars. Destroyed during the 1964 Spa 500km

| 3387GT

| 16 March 1962

| LHD

| Blue metallic with central stripe

|François Perrodo London, England

| Originally shipped to Luigi Chinetti Motors Inc., NY for Phil Hill. Driven by Glenn Roberts at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. Restored by Joe Macari, London in 2019. As of 2019, this chassis was involved in a legal dispute regarding the possession of its original gearbox.

| 3413GT

| 30 April 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina/Blue

| Harry Yeaggy Cincinnati, OH

| First sold to Edoardo Lualdi-Gabardi, who raced it extensively in hillclimbs during the early 1960s. Rebodied by the factory in series II/GTO '64 style during 1964. Sold by RM Sotheby's 26/Aug/18 at Monterey for $48.4M

| 3445GT

| 30 April 1962

| LHD

| Red/Blue

| Christopher Cox Chapel Hill, NC, USA

|First sold to Luciano Conti of Bologna. Raced by Scuderia Serenissima during the early 1960s.

| 3451GT

| 20 April 1962

| LHD

| Maroon/white roof

| Lawrence Stroll Montreal, Canada

| Purchased November 1996 via Duncan Hamilton.

| 3505GT

| 20 April 1962

| RHD

| Pale green

| Michael J. Cantanucci Saratoga Springs, NY, USA

| Originally shipped to UK for use by Stirling Moss

| 3527GT

| 22 May 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Dr. Richard E. Workman Windermere, Florida, USA

| Built for Gotfrid Koechert. Sold by dealer Tom Hartley in mid-2019 for Irvine Laidlaw Video of 3527GT history and sale

| 3589GT

| 20 April 1962

| RHD

| Blu scuro/Rosso

| Christoph Stieger Teufen, CH

|Originally shipped to Tommy Sopwith's Equipe Endeavour, Brighton, UK via Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. Video of 3589 history and restoration

| 3607GT

| 6 June 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina/Blue

| S. Robson Walton Bentonville, AR, USA

|Originally sold to Ferdinando Pagliarini.

| 3647GT

| 6 June 1962

| RHD

| Rosso Cina

|Chris Macallister . Indianapolis, IN, USA

|Originally shipped to Col. Ronnie Hoare of Bowmaker, UK, raced initially by John Surtees for Col. Hoare's Maranello Concessionaires team. Owned by James McNeil since 1966. The only 250 GTO to remain unrestored.

| 3729GT

| 28 July 1962

| RHD

| Bianco

| David Lee Los Angeles, California

|Originally shipped to John Coombs in the UK. Nicknamed Bianco Speciale as it was the only example to leave the factory painted white. 1960's competition history including Graham Hill, Mike Parkes, and Roy Salvadori

|3757GT

| 20 April 1962

| LHD

| Red/Blue

| Nick Mason London, England

|Originally shipped to Jacques Swaters Ecurie Francorchamps racing team. Came third at the 1962 24 Heures du Mans.

| 3765LM

| 1 May 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Luc Poirier Montreal, Canada

| 4L Sefac car. Raced Nürburgring 1000 km and 24 heures du Mans in 1962. James Jaeger sold by auction 13 Nov 2023

| 3767GT

| 26 July 1962

| RHD

| BP green

| Anthony Bamford Oakamoor, England

|Originally shipped to David Piper in the UK.

| 3769GT

| 13 June 1962

| LHD

| Grey metallic with blue central stripe

| Anthony Wang Long Island, NY, USA

|Originally shipped to Fernand Tavano for the 1962 24 Heures du Mans, DNF.

| 3809GT

| 9 July 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Ernesto Bertarelli, Swiss

|Originally shipped to Kalman von Czazy in Switzerland

| 3851GT

| 11 September 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Carlos Monteverde, UK

|Badly damaged twice

| 3869GT

| 8 October 1962

| RHD

| Rosso Cina

| Giorgio Perfetti, Swiss

|Raced by Ron Fry in 1963, 1964

| 3909GT

| 10 September 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| John McCaw, USA

|Raced by Jo Siffert at 500 Km Spa 1963

| 3943GT

| 16 October 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Charles E. Nearburg, USA

| Class Winner 1000km Nürburgring 1963

| 3987GT

| 11 October 1962

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Ralph Lauren, USA

| Winner over all at 1000 Km Paris 1962 with Rodriguez

| 4091GT

| 17 November 1962

| LHD

| Grigio metallic

| Peter G. Sachs, USA

| Class winner at Targa Florio 1965 with Clemente Ravetto

| 4115GT

| 7 December 1962

| LHD

| Silver metallic

| Paul Vestey, England

| The only GTO deliver new in Germany

| 4153GT

| 2 June 1963

| LHD

| Silver metallic

| David MacNeil, USA

| Winner over all at Tour de France 1964

| 4219GT

| 5 February 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Brandon Wang, England

| Delivered new to a young American heiress Mamie Spears Reynolds in 1963. Raced by Rodriguez in period

| 4293GT

| 22 April 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Chip Connor, USA

| Class Winner 24 heures du Mans 1963

| 4399GT

| 29 May 1963

| RHD

| Rosso Cina

| Anthony Bamford, England

| Raced the 24 heures du Mans 1964

| 4491GT

| 7 June 1963

| RHD

| BP Green

| Johann Anton Rupert, South Africa

| Car rebodied many times

| 4561SA

| 23 September 1963

| RHD

| Rosso Cina

| Carlo Vögele, Swiss

| 4 Liter customer car

| 4675GT

| 23 May 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Claudio Roddaro, Monaco

| Deliver new to Pasquale Annunziata in Roma. The car raced the Tour de France 1963 with Guido Fossati and the Targa Florio 1964 with Jean Guichet. Later raced by Luigi Taramazzo from Bordighera. Sold in 2024 to Claudio Roddaro.

| 4713GT

| 5 June 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Lulu Wang, USA

| The only GTO with a 330 LMB body style

| 4757GT

| 5 June 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Tom Price, USA

| The car raced the 24 heures du Mans 1963

| 5095GT

| 6 September 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| National Museum of Qatar

| 2nd overall at the Tour de France 1963

| 5111GT

| 6 September 1963

| LHD

| Rosso Cina

| Unknown

|Originally shipped to Jean Guichet in France.