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| Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta 'Lusso' by Scaglietti 1963 |
THE BERLINETTA LUSSO
The gorgeous Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta is generally regarded as being one of the most exquisitely proportioned and most beautiful of all Pininfarina-styled creations to be found on the legendary front-engined Ferrari 250 GT chassis. These were classic high-performance gran turismo cars with a difference, for they combined power and speed with the highest contemporary levels of elegance and comfortable accommodations for two, plus their luggage.
A prototype of the new 250 GT/L, or Lusso (for Luxury) as it became known, appeared at the Paris Motor Show in October 1962, and it was considered another stylistic triumph for the designer, Pininfarina, and coachbuilder, Scaglietti.
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| Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta 'Lusso' by Scaglietti 1963 |
The elegant lines, which blend into a Kamm tail, were reminiscent of the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta. The Lusso’s stablemate was the mighty 250 GTO, a pure racer, but the 2,400-millimetre short-wheelbase chassis of the Lusso also bore a great resemblance to the immortal GTO, as did some of the styling.
The Lusso would be the last car to be fitted with the Colombo-designed 3.0-litre V-12 engine. With just three Weber carburettors, as opposed to the six used on the racing version, the unit that the Lusso used was capable of producing approximately 250 brake horsepower, propelling the car to a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph), and covering the 0–100 km/h sprint in eight seconds. The GT/L was manufactured from 1963 until 1964, with only 350 being produced.
CHASSIS NUMBER 4735 GT
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| Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta 'Lusso' by Scaglietti 1963 |
The 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso presented here, chassis 4735 GT, is the 84th of 350 produced. It was completed in August 1963 and then sent to the Auto Becker dealership in Switzerland. Factory records suggest that it was displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and in September 1963, it was sold new to Mr O.Barchi, of Ticino, Switzerland. The car is still featured in its original and striking combination of Pino Verde Metallizzato over Beige leather, and it is believed that it is still wearing its original interior.
The car spent much of its early life in Europe, and after passing through two subsequent Italian owners, it came to be in the hands of Erich Traber, a well-known and respected classic car collector based in Switzerland, in 1983. Mr Traber kept the car for 20 years, until it was acquired by Jack Braam-Ruben, who exhibited the car at the 2004 InterClassics at Maastricht in the Netherlands. Later that year, the car was sold to Ed Hall in California, U.S.A., and soon thereafter, the engine was completely rebuilt by renowned Ferrari specialist Patrick Ottis.
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| Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta 'Lusso' by Scaglietti 1963 |
On 11 July 2006, the car was inspected by Miller Motor Cars on behalf of Michael S. Bruno Jr., of New York. After the inspection, Michael bought the car and had the engine serviced in November. During his ownership, Mr Bruno also rebuilt the shock absorbers, springs, and bushes, amongst other things. This work totalled to in excess of $11,000. In 2011, Bruno had the engine serviced once more and the car fitted with a new ANSA exhaust. Finally, in August 2011, a previous owner, Paul Verbeeck of Belgium, traded in his 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione and purchased this Lusso, and in his ownership, the car has most recently been seen on the Ennstal-Classic in Austria in July of last year.
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| Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta 'Lusso' by Scaglietti 1963 |
The Lusso received a tremendous reception when first unveiled, and it still does today. In May 1964, Car and Driver wrote, “…its proportions approach perfection”. Road and Track did not road-test the car until 1969, but when they did, they wrote, “…Ferrari’s most beautiful car; a classic at age five”. Ferrari Magazine called it “one of the all-time classics”, whilst German weekly Revue Automobile called it “the most beautiful car in the world”.
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