Coys Auction - Spring Classics
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Estimate: Refer Department
Registration Number: XSL 415
Chassis Number: 2557 GT
Conceived as a Gran Turismo, Ferrari's 250 soon diverged into two paths, the GT coupes and cabriolets and the lightweight competition Berlinettas. The Berlinettas, designed by Pininfarina and built in small numbers by Scaglietti, were the ultimate dual-purpose cars, competitive at Le Mans but often driven to races. Nowhere were the 250 Berlinettas more at home than on the Tour de France, the legendary marathon where performance, reliability and adaptability made the marque a consistent winner.
With Ferrari's GT cars claiming successes on race tracks and in road races around the world in the mid 1950s, the market for the company's road cars was becoming stronger and stronger, particularly in North America. The Ferrari distributor for that market was Luigi Chinetti, an Italian who had settled there