Saturday, July 20, 2019

1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti

Ferrari built 453 examples of the 275 GTB for consumers, but only three 275 GTB/C Speciales were assembled to contest the 1965 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The first car built, chassis 06701, never saw competition, but it brought $28.4m at RM Sotheby's in 2014. The three 275 GTB/C Speciales were hand-built, utilizing a lightweight tube-frame chassis wrapped in aluminum body panels, with power coming from a 3.3-liter V-12 engine. In competition form, six Weber 38 DCN carburetors fed the Type 213 engine which produced 320 hp.
The first Ferrari with independent rear suspension and a transaxle gearbox, it was a major improvement over the outgoing 250 and an evolution of the 250 GTO. Completed in April 1965, chassis 06701 was the first 275 GTB/C Speciale built.

Ferrari would go on to produce another dozen 275 GTB/C models for the 1966 racing season.
Machines built for racing were stamped with a 'C' for 'Competizione'. Only chassis 06885 would see competitive action. Although its racing career was brief, 06885 quickly proved the potency of the Speciales.
At the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans it won the GT class and finished third overall behind a pair of Ferrari 250 LMs. 06885 lost its owner when millionaire Preston Henn, a South Florida flea-market magnate, died at age 86 in 2017.

His 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale is one of the world’s most valuable cars.

The "special" 275 GTBs had thinner body panels that trimmed 300 pounds.
Henn is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Betty, and four children. Before passing, he said he made sure his beloved Ferrari will stay on display after he is gone. His wife said "That was his crown jewel, at one point he said he wanted to be buried in it."

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