Doesn’t this just look fantastic in its devilishly dark colour of Verde Riviera 1160, the colour it has worn since the late 50s, when it competed in events such as the Rallye de Monte Carlo, Coupe des Alpes and Tour de France over the course of 1958. Records suggest that the car has since been largely unseen, with just a brief venture out to the Modena Ferrari Days meeting in 1983. Having lived a largely relaxing life in the last 60 years, this stunning unrestored example of an early Ferrari wearing that all important ‘250 GT’ name is the stuff of legend.

Now available once again through Kidston SA, who previously helped discreetly sell the car in 2014, this is surely an opportunity to acquire an incredibly special Ferrari, the likes of which are few and far between.

Still in the elegant and understated green livery in which it was campaigned in 1958, this largely unknown 250 GT by Boano deserves the often-misused ‘time capsule’ label: it has hardly been seen in public since 1958, spent half a century in the hands of just two owners, and has never before been offered for public sale.

Each chip, scratch and worn surface could probably tell a story. It takes you back to a time when Ferraris were largely unknown to the general public, bought by real gentleman drivers, and rarely in red. It should be preserved just as it is.