The Ferrari 250gt Story

Ultimate Ferrari GTO explores the story of this iconic family of cars in more detail and with more authority than ever before. Introduced in 1962 as the final evolutionary step in the long-running 250 GT series, the GTO was the last and best GT racer of the front-engine era. It remained at the forefront for three seasons, winning a hat-trick of World Championship titles for Ferrari. Ever since, GTOs have retained their exalted status not just because of their racing achievements but also their exquisite beauty, undoubted charisma and -- for those lucky enough to have experienced this -- peerless driveability. Indeed, the GTO's illustrative reputation has made it the world's most desirable car, as confirmed by the record-breaking prices repeatedly paid for the finest examples. Packed with superb photographs, many not previously published, this lavish two-volume production does true justice to this ultimate car.

The 250-series was an early Ferrari success story and in 1959 spawned one of the most recognisable sports cars ever built. It is now also one of the most coveted. The 250 GT Berlinetta (aka SWB, ‘Short Wheelbase’) had a dual role as supreme grand tourer and outstanding racing car. Chassis 2689GT, the subject of Ferrari 250 GT SWB, was purchased by amateur racer Pierre Dumay on behalf of his friend Pierre Noblet – who had written off his previous 250 GT SWB in an accident at Clermont-Ferrand. Shortly after taking delivery, Noblet and co-driver Jean Guichet took the new car to a class-winning third place overall in the Le Mans 24 Hours – the dawn of a relatively brief, but very bright, competition history.

This superb book tells the story of the finest example of a glorious breed of Ferrari, the 250 GT Short Wheelbase, which combined a great engine with a fine chassis and a beautiful body to become one of the most revered Ferraris. The 2119 GT is a very special car because Stirling Moss drove it to a famous victory in the Goodwood Tourist Trophy of 1960. Here you’ll get detailed insight into this race, the competition debut of 2119 GT, as well as the seven others in which the car took part in period, all supported by a superb collection of photographs.

Ultimate Ferrari GTO explores the story of this iconic family of cars in more detail and with more authority than ever before. Introduced in 1962 as the final evolutionary step in the long-running 250 GT series, the GTO was the last and best GT racer of the front-engine era. It remained at the forefront for three seasons, winning a hat-trick of World Championship titles for Ferrari. Ever since, GTOs have retained their exalted status not just because of their racing achievements but also their exquisite beauty, undoubted charisma and — for those lucky enough to have experienced this — peerless driveability. Indeed, the GTO’s illustrative reputation has made it the world’s most desirable car, as confirmed by the record-breaking prices repeatedly paid for the finest examples. Packed with superb photographs, many not previously published, this lavish two-volume production does true justice to this ultimate car.

The Ferrari 250 GTO is one of the most successful and highly regarded cars ever produced. Built purely for racing, the 250 GTO dominated the Grand Touring racing category in the period 1962–64 and raced in all of the world's sports car classics, including Le Mans. Ferrari built just 40 production cars, and almost all were raced. Because of its sheer beauty, its immensely successful track record and the relatively small number of cars built, the 250 GTO is among the world’s most valuable cars and examples now change hands for sums in excess of $10 million.

The Ferrari 250 LM was born of controversy. Enzo Ferrari wanted this compact mid-engined coupe to qualify as a GT car for world championship racing. The FIA, motor sport’s rule-makers, disagreed and this new model, of which just 32 were made, was forced to run as a sports-prototype in 1964 and 1965. To everyone’s surprise, the LM was to dominate the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1965. 6313, entered by Ecurie Francorchamps, led for much of the race and finished second after a tyre failure in the closing stages. It was the high-spot of a busy season for a car that, 54 years later, is well-known as a successful contender in historic car racing. Author James Page covers the genesis of the 250 LM and its development, its technical details and specification, and the ongoing row about its homologation as a GT car. 6313 was driven at Le Mans in 1965 by Pierre Dumay and Gustave Gosselin, and led the race through Saturday night and Sunday morning, only to suffer a tyre blow-out with less than three hours to the finish, allowing the NART 250 LM of Jochen Rindt and Masten Gregory to take victory. For many years the identity of 6313 was confused with its team-mate 6023. Detective work by Ferrari specialist Keith Bluemel, consultant on this book, clarified the situation. This book unravels the mystery. The book is profusely illustrated with period photographs and documents, and a gallery of studio photographs of the car as it is today.

First seen as the course car at the 1960 Le Mans 24 hour race, the elegant Ferrari 250 Gran Turismo 2+2 Pininfarina, or GTE as it has become known, was Ferrari's first four-seat production car and an outstanding commercial success, underwriting the company's racing activity. Built upon the same running gear as the iconic Ferrari 250 two-seaters, the GTE continued in production until 1963, by which time 954 examples had been built. Initially popular as a "gentleman's express," the car was typically finished in conservative colours which emphasised its stunning lines.But after a few years and several owners they were sadly often neglected and came to be regarded simply as donors upon which to build replicas of other Ferraris. Thanks to the efforts of a number of enthusiastic owners who have dedicated themselves to maintaining, restoring and preserving these wonderful cars, about half of them still exist today as GTEs, valued for their beauty and history. In researching this definitive history of the model, the author consulted with respected Ferrari historians, enjoying access to their archives. He traveled extensively to view and document more than 125 examples of these cars around the world. The book is published in a limited edition of 750 copies to celebrate the 60th birthday of the three Series of the 250 GTE.