1967 Ferrari 275

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys Cavallino Palm Beach event, 14 February 2026.
$3,400,000 - $3,600,000 USD

• One of only six 275 GTB/4 examples finished in the elegant combination of Rosso Rubino over Beige VM 3218, further distinguished as one of only a small number of examples to receive the highly desirable corduroy cloth seat inserts
• Never fully restored and believed to retain its factory leather interior and chrome
• Ferrari Classiche Red Book certified as full numbers-matching, retaining its original engine, gearbox/transaxle, and coachwork
• Odometer displayed 21,277 km (13,221 mi.) at cataloguing, with documented odometer readings going back 50 years making this one of the lowest documented mileage examples in existence
• Extremely well-cared-for example with only five caretakers over the last 55 years; benefits from a 1990s mechanical overhaul by the legendary Bob Wallace
• Exhibited in the Preservation Class at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours dElegance and at the 2013 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering

EVOLUTION OF A PERFORMANCE ICON

As one of Maranellos most definitive models, there is perhaps no better archetype of a roadgoing Ferrari than the 275 GTB/4. One of the last Prancing Horses manufactured in the vintage era, preceding the wholesale shift to mid-rear engine placement, the GTB/4 was the product of all the lessons learned since the companys 1947 inception. Like the greatest Ferraris that preceded it, the model was defined as a grand touring berlinetta, a closed-body dual-use GT car that could be driven to the track and raced before being driven back home.

Maranellos first roadgoing four-cam model was introduced at the 1966 Paris Motor Show, replacing the 275 GTB that had debuted two years earlier. Outwardly the new car was nearly identical to its immediate predecessor, as it also employed the long-nose body style that was adopted later in the original 275s production run to prevent front-end lift at speed.

The major dividend of the new car lay hidden under the hood, where an upgraded version of Gioacchino Colombos short-block, 3.3-liter V-12 engine (now dubbed the Type 226) was fitted with dual overhead camshafts; this was the first appearance of such valve actuation in a production Ferrari road car. A slightly modified hood with a raised center section was added to the Scaglietti bodywork to accommodate the taller engine profile. Equipped with dry-sump lubrication and six Weber 40 DCN/9 (or DCN/17) carburetors, the new engine developed 20 horsepower more than its predecessor, giving the nimble 275 chassis an added jolt of performance. The GTB/4 was also standard-equipped with a revised driveshaft arrangement in a torque tube, eliminating vibration issues that had plagued earlier variants.

The new 275 GTB/4 was Ferraris most dynamic road car yet, and it would forever be remembered as the last of the classic V-12 front-engine models, as the forthcoming Daytona featured completely different styling that marked a transition to 1970s aesthetics. Only 330 examples of the 275 GTB/4 were built before the model was discontinued in 1968, adding a degree of rarity to the revered Ferrari, as well.

CAREFULLY PRESERVED, YET NEVER FULLY RESTORED

Boasting a noteworthy state of preservation, and certification by Ferrari Classiche as a matching-numbers example, this exquisite four-cam is one of the finest examples to be publicly offered in recent memory. According to the research of marque expert Marcel Massini, chassis number 09931 completed assembly in May 1967, finished in an elegant color combination of Rosso Rubino paint over a Beige leather interior with the extremely rare and desirable cord cloth seat inserts/centers. The 275 was specified for the European market with instruments in kilometers.

Retailed through the well-known Milan-based marque dealer M. Gastone Crepaldi Automobili, the Ferrari was sold in late May 1967 to its first owner, local resident Luigi Mischi. By early 1970 the GTB/4 was exported to the US, and it was soon offered by a Beverly Hills dealership called Roma Motors.

In April 1970, while displaying approximately 11,000 kilometers, the Ferrari was sold to USAF Col. Dale Page DP Smith of Riverside, California. Col. Smith enjoyed the car intermittently over the following few years, accruing an additional 7,000 kilometers, until a failed camshaft sidelined the car by the mid-1970s. A diligent amateur mechanic, DP faithfully removed the engine with plans for an overhaul, carefully bagging and storing parts, and corresponding with Maranello Concessionaires, the official Ferrari importer for the UK.

Unfortunately for Col. Smith, but perhaps fortunate for the future preservation of the cars originality, Col. never found the wherewithal to complete the project, and the car ended up remaining in storage through his passing in 1995. The silver lining was that by storing the car with the engine on the side, the owner optimally preserved the suspension and wheels, which were subjected to a lightened load for the better part of 30 years.

In 1996 Col. Smiths estate sold the Ferrari to Frederick Pesaturo of Rhode Island, and he later wrote an informing testimonial that remains in the cars file. The owner soon commissioned a mechanical overhaul by the respected Bob Wallace, the well-known Italian sports car specialist and onetime Lamborghini development driver. In conjunction with F40 Motorsports, Wallace sympathetically reconditioned the cars chassis and engine, and the owner took the opportunity to cosmetically detail the paint and interior, with some exterior panels refinished as necessary. The leather seats were reconditioned, and the cord cloth inserts were replaced with correct new-original-stock pieces acquired from the Ferrari factory. Other than this replacement, the interior is believed to be completely original. Upon completion of the work, the berlinetta was presented at the Larz Anderson Auto Museums Tutto Italiano concours in May 2000, winning the Best in Show award.

Mr. Pesaturo then returned the beautiful Ferrari to a state of storage, putting the car up on blocks to avoid load on the chassis components, and keeping it in a climate-controlled garage for approximately 15 years. The 275 was then sold in 2011 to Phil White of Atherton, California, and he presented the berlinetta at several local shows that year, including the Concours-on-the-Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Danville Concours dElegance, and the Hillsborough Concours dElegance. In November 2011 the GTB/4 was issued a Ferrari Classiche Red Book and corresponding Certificate of Authenticity, authenticating the presence of the matching-numbers engine, gearbox/transaxle, and coachwork, further testifying to the cars high degree of originality. The following year the berlinetta made a strong showing in the Preservation Class at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours dElegance.

In 2013 the Ferrari was acquired by an enthusiast based in Portola Valley, California. Later that year he exhibited 09931 at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, where its amazing state of preservation (right down to the original Milan license plates!), continued to astound onlookers. Accompanied by owners manuals, a tool roll, and a matching spare wheel in the trunk, this never-fully-restored 275 GTB/4 would be the envy of any tifoso. The odometer displayed 21,277 kilometers (13,221 miles) at cataloguing, suggesting that the car has accrued only 3,277 kilometers (2,037 miles) over the last 45 years making it one of the lowest documented mileage examples in existence.

Chassis number 09931 perfectly represents the most highly developed configuration of the 275 platform, being a long nose, torque-tube, four-cam example. Particularly suited for Ferrari collectors in search of well-preserved examples of important models, this impressive berlinetta would elevate even the finest gathering of Prancing Horses.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/cc26/.