1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe

By the mid-1950s, Enzo Ferrari needed a reliable source of income to support his racing, and a production series of elegant grand touring cars offered exactly that. Ferrari entrusted Pinin Farina to design and build its coachwork and the result was the 250 GT Coupe. It was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1958 and produced at the carrozzeria’s expanded Grugliasco plant. Restrained where many Ferraris were more flamboyant, the Pinin Farina Coupe paired clean, refined lines with the celebrated three-liter Colombo V-12. The suspension was improved with telescopic shock absorbers, and by 1960 the model gained four-wheel disc brakes. With generous room for two and their luggage, it proved an accomplished long-distance grand tourer and remains one of the most significant models to Ferrari’s early commercial success.

This example, chassis 1671 GT, was delivered new in Europe, finished in gray over a black interior, and specified at the factory with a hood scoop, a feature usually reserved for the Cabriolet. As a later 1960 model, 1671 GT is equipped with disc brakes and overdrive, improving the car’s driveability over earlier examples. The 250 GT remained in Europe before heading to California in 1973.

1671 GT’s American ownership is believed to begin with Roger L. Ahlgren, an electronics engineer residing in Tahoe City, California. Mr. Ahlgren kept the car until the late 1970s, when it was sold to Richard Conroy, a golf professional in Carnelian Bay, California. After only a few years of enjoyment, it is believed Mr. Conroy passed the Coupe on to Joel Mogul, who retained it for over 20 years. It was under Mr. Mogul’s lengthy and enthusiastic custodianship that the 250 was restored. This work included an engine and gearbox rebuild, installation of a new flywheel, and restoration of the suspension and braking systems. The majority of the mechanical work was carried out by Bruno Borri, a former Ferrari race team mechanic who ran the Los Angeles-based shop Modena Motors. Detail work included chrome by Christensen Plating, a reupholstering of the interior in tan leather, and, as a final flourish, a repaint to the car’s exciting shade of deep red.

In 2008, the restored Ferrari passed to Cogan Imports of Louisville, Kentucky, which retained it for several years before the current owner, a passionate and knowledgeable Southern California collector, acquired it via Fantasy Junction in 2010. Under the consignor’s stewardship, 1671 GT received further professional care, as it was prepared to concours standards. This work was overseen by the esteemed marque expert and chief Ferrari judge at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, Patrick Ottis. The results of this careful preparation were immediate: in 2011, the 250 GT earned a Platinum Award at the Ferrari Club of America Southwest Region. It continued its success on the concours field with First in Class honors at the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, the Santa Barbara Concours d’Elegance, and the San Marino Motor Classic. More recently, the Pinin Farina Coupe was showcased at the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue in August 2019.

Today, chassis 1671 GT presents an outstanding opportunity to acquire a visually stunning and mechanically excellent example of this elegant 250-series Ferrari. It features its correct Marchal headlamps, polished Borrani wire wheels, and a period-appropriate Becker Mexico radio. The Ferrari has benefited from significant recent mechanical attention, including an extensive engine-out overhaul and a gearbox rebuild performed by the Bobileff Motorcar Company of San Diego, California, in February 2020, totaling over $21,000. Further refinements were completed in March 2023 by Gran Touring Classics Inc. of Long Beach, California, which included rebuilding and upgrading the fuel pump and servicing the carburetors.

Sporting and quietly purposeful thanks to its ideal colors, factory-fitted disc brakes, and overdrive, this 250 GT Pinin Farina Coupe is among the most elegant, enjoyable, and rewarding of the celebrated 250-series Ferraris.