By the late 1960s fabricating technologies, techniques and costs were drastically steering the car industry away from the bespoke coachbuilt era and ushering in an entirely new generation of automobile manufacturering.
Ferrari made the necessary adjustments as they recognized the trend was pushing away from its acclaimed crown jewels such as the Superfast and Superamerica.
From 1966-1968 the legendary Ferrari 330 GTC was produced at the manufacturing headquarters in Maranello Italy.
There were 598 coupes and 100 Spyders built before it was replaced by the 365 GTC & GTS.
Selected from the 330 GTC grouping…Ferrari would embark on creating four final extremely limited edition bespoke hand built creations. Pictured below is one of the four Ferrari 330 GTC Speciales’ built at Carrozzeria Pininfarina in Turin Italy.
This striking contemporary silhouette excudes artistry, refined craftsmanship, and a distinctive character suggestive of the former resplendent coachbuilding era. Four elite Ferrari customers were chosen for the Speciale…and all four cars vary slightly in their customizations. The sophisticated sleek body of the Speciale…actually pioneered a number of characteristic features that would later be adapted to other Ferrari production models. These four hand built cars were fashioned on the Ferrari 330 GTC Gran Turismo platform. Sergio Pininfarina used the 365 California style front end with covered headlamps…and the first two Speciales came with the Californias’ unusual pop-up headlamps. The rear window is a concave piece of glass similar to the Dino…the shaped glass elements fit beautifully with the flying buttresses that slope down to the abrupt Kamm tail…which is similar to the 365 California and mid-engine show cars. Louver vents are placed on either side of the bonnets trailing edge…and would later be used on the 365 GTC. The interior cabin is exquisitely detailed in the finest Italian leathers…and offers a panoramic driving view due to the expansive use of glass.
Like the regular 330 GTC…the Speciales’ pump out around 150mph…0-60 in just over 6 seconds…peak output was 300bhp at 7000rpm and 244lb-ft at 5000rpm. Powered by a thoroughbred V-12 engine…the Speciale is constructed of Ferraris tried-and-tested combination of traditional tubular steel framing.
Belgian Royalty, a doctor and two other very lucky Ferrari enthusiasts were the recipients of these four amazing and legendary automobiles. For those that honor prestige, glamour and a bit of iconic automotive history…these stunning cars represent a very special time in the Ferrari heritage.
Incredibly rare and occasionally viewed at the most prestigious concours events in the world…one of the four Ferrari 330 GTC Speciales’ by Pininfarina was sold in 2018 for $3,410.000.00, and they continue to increase in price.