The successor to the 275 GTS, Ferrari’s 330 GTS combined iconic open-top Pininfarina styling with a larger 4.0-liter engine, allowing for an exhilarating top speed of 150 mph. Revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 1966, very few of its contemporaries could match its styling and performance – desirable traits that still make these V-12 Spiders sought after today. A mere 100 examples of the 330 GTS were built between 1966 and 1968; a small figure, especially when compared with the 598 examples of the fixed-roof GTC model.

The GTS’ nimble handling, impressive acceleration, and luxurious appointments upheld Ferrari’s reputation as a top constructor of open-top sports cars. By combining the newly introduced torque tube and ZF five-speed transaxle, power was delivered via a limited-slip differential. The 330’s suspension, which incorporated unequal-length wishbones, coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers with front and rear anti-roll bars was sporting, yet comfortable. Vented, four-wheel disc brakes were fitted behind the customer’s choice of Campagnolo alloy or Borrani wire wheels.

The fascinating history of this Ferrari 330 GTS begins in fall 1967, when Ferrari sent chassis 10913 to Carrozzeria Pininfarina in Torino. Completed in the attractive color scheme of Argento (Silver) with Rosso Scuro (Dark Red) leather upholstery, the new 330 GTS was specified for US delivery and equipped with optional Borrani wire wheels, air-conditioning, and instrumentation in miles.

In January 1968, the 330 GTS was shipped to Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada, the official Ferrari distributor owned by casino magnate William F. Harrah. Mr. Harrah, one of the most prolific car collectors in history, selected the 330 GTS for his personal use, as he deemed it one of the better 330s that had come through his distributorship. In late 1969, he gave the car to his new bride, country singer Bobbie Gentry.

Earlier that year, Mr. Harrah had brought the new Ferrari to his world-class restoration facility, where he had a special targa top fashioned – similar to the design pioneered by Porsche for the 911. Featured in an article in the December 1969 issue of Road & Track, Mr. Harrah’s clever targa conversion was relatively simple and highly effective, with the top secured to the Ferrari’s existing factory attachment points and the rear window simply resting on the coachwork.

According to Modern Classic Motors’ Vice President V.C. Keil in a letter on file, a number of rear windows were fabricated for the Ferrari, and “the car was run at approximate speeds of 140 mph with the top off and the windows down, the windows up and the top off with the intent of ascertaining the strength of the Plexiglas window in the rear.”

Mr. Harrah was so pleased with the targa top conversion that he reportedly approached Ferrari to see if it would be interested in building a limited series of 20 similar cars. The factory went so far as to send a representative to Nevada to review the GTS, but ultimately decided that the model was nearing the end of its production run and the project would not be feasible.

The following year, having released the new 365 GTB/4, Ferrari built the one-off “Daytona Spéciale,” featuring a targa band that indicates a stylistic influence reminiscent of this car.

After Mr. Harrah’s marriage to Ms. Gentry dissolved in 1970, the Ferrari 330 GTS was put up for sale. In July 1973, Modern Classic Motors sold 10913 to a friend of Harrah’s – Robert Donner Jr. of Colorado Springs, Colorado – who paid $17,500 for the 2,300-mile Ferrari.

Like Mr. Harrah, Mr. Donner was an avid automobile enthusiast. He successfully raced Porsches in the 1950s at circuits including Sebring and Road America, and even captured multiple class wins at the grueling Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a plethora of factory-built racing Spyders.

In the mid-1960s, Mr. Donner developed an appreciation for Ferraris and began buying the latest road-going models and important classics. By the 1970s, he had a wonderful stable of Ferraris, most painted silver – a nod to his Porsche days. A passionate collector, Mr. Donner worked on his own Ferraris, drove them often, and even served as the president of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Ferrari Club of America. During his ownership, the 330 GTS was driven approximately 20,000 miles and was also exhibited on rare occasions.

Mr. Donner passed away in 2010, and a few years later, the 330 GTS was sold to Los Angeles-based collector Mark Haddawy. After removing the targa top, Mr. Haddawy commissioned Beckman Metal Works in Costa Mesa, California, to return the car to its convertible configuration and refinish the bodywork in the original color. The consignor purchased the GTS from Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach sale in 2016 and it has since remained in his world-class Ferrari collection. Today, the Ferrari remains a stunning example, showing just over 27,000 miles on the odometer at the time of cataloguing.

As would be expected from a low-mileage car, 10913 retains many important original features, and its presentation is sure to impress anyone with an in-depth knowledge of 330-series Ferraris. This 330 GTS, 55 years after leaving the factory, retains its matching-numbers engine and transaxle per copies of factory records on file, as well as its original red-leather upholstery, Borrani wire wheels, and window glass.

This 330 GTS is offered with its original handbook folio, manuals, jack kit, and extensive documentation. The car’s history file includes correspondence between Robert Donner Jr. and Modern Classic Motors, an impressive collection of service records and registration documents dating back to 1973, copies of the factory build sheets, and various magazine articles.

Originally delivered to one of the most important figures in the classic car industry, retained for over three decades in a Ferrari enthusiast’s private collection, and presented today in outstanding condition, 10913 is an exceptionally rare and desirable 1960s Ferrari that possesses every special quality sought after by discerning collectors. Gooding & Company is proud to present this magnificent automobile for public sale, as it is surely among the most important and distinctive examples of the elegant 330 GTS.