To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' The London Auction event, 31 October 2026.

• The 316th of a total 350 examples built of the 250 Lusso and the 19th of 23 right-hand-drive cars
• Ordered new as a one-off factory colour combination in Rosso Cina over Pelle Bianco; the only 250 GT Lusso ordered with Pelle Bianco interior
• Imported new to the UK by Maranello Concessionaires
• Accompanied by copies of its original order forms plus period correspondence between Maranello Concessionaires with first few owners
• Restored by Kevin O’Rourke’s MotoTechnique in the UK over 1987-88 and featured in an April 1988 Supercar Classics magazine article
• Certified by Ferrari Classiche in 2026; shown to retain its original chassis, engine, gearbox, and rear differential

Please note this car is currently undergoing registration in the UK, as such there may be a delay to the successful bidder receiving the UK V5C post sale.

Please note if this car is exported outside of the UK an export license will be required.

Introduced at the 1962 Paris Salon, Ferrari’s 250 GT/L was undoubtedly one of the most attractive grand touring cars ever built. Intended as a replacement for the 250 GT coupé, the “L” stood for Lusso, the Italian word for “luxury”, and featured an all-new interior arrangement highlighted by a revised dash panel and leather upholstery throughout the cabin. Built to cross continents in unrivalled style while cossetting a driver, passenger, and plenty of luggage, it looked simply stunning while sitting still and just as beautiful at speed.

Mechanically, Ferrari’s Tipo 168 U engine was the ultimate development of the short-block Colombo 3.0-litre V-12, featuring outside-plug ignition and single-cylinder porting that had proven so successful in the 250 Testa Rossa and California Spider. Further improvements were made to the chassis including four-wheel disc brakes, coil-over shock absorbers at all four corners, and a rear Watts linkage that had been perfected on the 250 GTO.

While the bodywork itself was designed by Pininfarina, the construction of it was carried out by Scaglietti and it is truly among the pair’s very best work. Boasting Ferrari’s now-typical egg-crate grille, its delicately curved fenders gave way to a bright, airy cabin and flowed into a fastback “Kamm tail". Originally owned by jet-set luminaries and celebrities, such as Steve McQueen, the Lusso was built in a modest quantity of just 350 examples over roughly two years of production. The GT/L has since evolved into one of Maranello’s most collectable production models, essentially the final and most developed evolution of the revered 250 GT lineage.

The example offered here is noted to be the 316th built from the model’s 350-strong production run. Destined for the United Kingdom, the Ferrari was accordingly constructed in right-hand drive, and was the 19th of only 23 examples of the 250 Lusso made with the steering wheel on the right side. In anticipation of its British delivery, the car was fitted by the factory with a speedometer reading in miles.

The Ferrari factory received the order for the Lusso from the Egham-based import business Maranello Concessionaires Ltd, with the great Ferrari privateer and head of the importer Colonel Ronnie Hoare giving a personal demonstration in another 250 GT/L to Mr Martin Brain, the first owner of chassis number 5711 GT. Mr Brain, of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, had met with Colonel Hoare towards the end of 1963 and by 7 November of that year, the pair sealed the deal for a Berlinetta Lusso which was initially specified to be made with Oro Chiaro paint, Dark Red Connolly leather, Dark Red carpets, Fawn roof lining, and a Motorola radio. It was scheduled for a February 1964 build slot with delivery anticipated in late-February or early March. Mr Brain intended to part exchange a Facel Vega HK500 as part of the deal.

However, some two-and-a-half weeks after placing the order, Mr Brain wrote to Maranello Concessionaires having changed his mind. Instead, he wished to change the order for the ‘colour scheme to read as Ferrari red, cream upholstery, and dark red carpets’. It is thought that the factory returned the car with a White interior, and as such is the only 250 GT/L to leave Maranello with White hide. The Ferrari was duly registered on the United Kingdom registration “ALP 5B” on 13 April 1964. Regrettably, its first owner did not retain the car for long and by 5 November of that year the Ferrari had been sold to Mr John Moore of Hereford, who put forward a rare Zagato-bodied Bristol 406 in exchange, with the deal transacted by Maranello Concessionaires. Mr Moore embarked upon an ambitious drive to Morocco with the Ferrari, returning in 1966.

By July 1969, the car was sold again to one F W J Cornwallis of Eastbourne, East Sussex, and is thought to have later entered the collection of pre-eminent Ferrari enthusiast Dick Crossthwaite. The car’s earliest history is documented by period order forms and correspondence kindly provided by The Maranello Concessionaires Archive, available to view in full on file. By the late 1980s, the Ferrari is said to have been restored by Kevin O’Rourke’s Moto Technique workshop and around the same time it appeared in the April 1988 edition of Supercar Classics magazine. In the early 1990s, the car entered the collection of Lee Kun-hee, former Chairman of Samsung, and by the late 2000s the car was known to be in long-term ownership in Australia.

In 2026, the Lusso was certified by Ferrari Classiche, which confirms the car retains its matching-numbers V-12 “Colombo” engine, gearbox, and rear differential. Today, the Ferrari presents in a condition that would invite restoration to be overseen by its next owner, offering an exciting opportunity to renew this storied factory one-off 250 GT/L.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/lf26/.