1966 Ferrari 275 GTS

Introduced at the Paris Motor Show in October 1964, the Ferrari 275 was the replacement for the long-running 250 series. The new model featured a 3.3-liter tipo 213 V-12 engine which produced 20 more horsepower than the outgoing 3-liter. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a rear-mounted, five-speed transaxle, giving the car a near 50:50 weight distribution. The 275 was offered in both berlinetta and spider body styles, and much like the earlier 250 SWB Berlinetta and California Spider, the two designs differed greatly but shared the same mechanical underpinnings. Just 200 examples of the Pininfarina-bodied 275 GTS spider were built through early 1966, making the model considerably rarer than its berlinetta counterpart – of which 450 were built.

Completed in March 1966 and finished in Grigio Fumo (Smoke Gray, Italver 18944) over red Connolly leather upholstery and red carpets, chassis 07929 was one of just three such examples built in this elegant color scheme, according to research compiled by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini.

The car’s first owner was Cartiere del Timavo S.p.A., a paper manufacturing company owned by Pietro Ferraro of Trieste, Italy. Mr. Ferraro was a stalwart privateer Ferrari racer whose stable included no less than seven competition Ferraris throughout the late 1950s and 1960s, including a 250 Tour de France, 250 SWB Competizione, 250 GTO (in which he finished 4th in the 1962 Targa Florio), 330 GTO, 330 LMB, and a 275 GTB Competizione Speciale.

Ferraro retained the 275 GTS until December 1969, when it was exported to California by Milan-based dealer Dino Armando Genghini. There, it was acquired by Cupertino resident James W. Miller, and by 1976, the car had been sold to real estate developer and Ferrari of Los Gatos co-founder Richard Rivoir. A copy of a period photo on file shows the 275 GTS parked in front of the Ferrari of Los Gatos showroom, fitted with cast-alloy wheels and finished in red with the distinctive, black-painted side vents it retains today.

The current owner acquired this 275 GTS from William Brand of Palo Alto, California, in 1981, and since that time the car has resided with one Southern California family. The Ferrari was initially registered in February of that year on blue California license plates reading “GIDDAP” (short for “giddy-up”) and later that October received the “66 GTS” plate, which remains affixed to the car today. In August 1984, the GTS was displayed at the International Ferrari Concours in Monterey, California. In the early 1990s, the owner reportedly entrusted Tillack & Co. of Redondo Beach to remove and rebuild the car’s matching-numbers engine and five-speed transaxle. Following completion of the work, the engine and transaxle were stored alongside the car in the owner’s garage until discovery by the Gooding Christie’s team in early 2026.

In preparation for the sale, the GTS was carefully assembled, ensuring original hardware was used wherever possible and that no original finishes were disturbed. The final digits of the Pininfarina body number (166) were noted to be visible, written in chalk on the backsides of the original door panels. At the time of cataloguing, the car’s odometer showed just 83,353 km (51,793 miles).

Never fully restored, 07929 still retains its original red Connolly leather interior and carpets and a period Voxson radio. Included in the sale is a report by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, which confirms the original Pininfarina body number (175166), as well as books, a tool kit, and records dating back to 1978. Just 200 examples of the 275 GTS were built and of these, a precious few retain the level of originality of this remarkable machine.

An ideal candidate for a continued mechanical recommissioning or a sympathetic restoration to return the car to its original Grigio Fumo livery, this Ferrari is surely among the last unrestored examples of its type to be found. Never before offered at auction and unknown to the Ferrari world for decades, this car represents a fresh, exciting opportunity to acquire a truly distinctive 275 GTS.

Notes Please note that this vehicle has been in long-term static storage and is not currently operational. It will require mechanical attention prior to road use.