1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso

   

1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso

From Fantasy Junction:

Deep Red with Natural Leather Commonly viewed as the signature car of the Italian coach builder Pininfarina, the 250 GT/L Lusso remains one of the most aesthetically pleasing Ferrari road cars ever produced. Using Ferrari’s well-tested and fully developed 3.0 V12 engine and driveline combination, the Lussos achieve a level of mechanical sophistication while remaining simple enough to be reliable.

Very much the road going counterpart to Ferrari’s multi-million dollar 250 Short Wheel Base, with just 350 of these achingly beautiful cars built, it is with good reason that the Lussos have enjoyed fantastic appreciation in recent years.

This late production example was finished at the factory in red with black interior and sold new to Mr. Manuel Dos Passos of Maine, USA. Dos Passos traded the car back to Chinetti in November of 1966 for another car which Fantasy Junction has had the opportunity to handle, 275 GTB/6C s/n 8891. The Lusso passed through John Tedesco’s hands in the 1970s, was restored in the late 1990s, and offered for sale in 1998 as a freshly restored example in its current colors. Today the car is best described as a stunningly attractive, restored, and fully sorted example fit for regional level showing or enthusiastic road use. The restoration was an exceptional job, as appropriate for a car in its value range. In 2000, this example achieved platinum status at Concours Italiano! Minor signs of use and aging are present, but on the whole, the car makes a concourse level impression. The odometer shows 40,205 miles, which appears to represent actual mileage from new, but Fantasy Junction has only historical information to support this.

The paint work is done to superlative standards, and has a mirror finish appearance. The window seals and body gaskets were obviously replaced as part of the repaint. The body is exceptionally straight with even and tight gaps at the bonnet, doors, and trunk lid. The chrome was re-done as part of the restoration and is outstanding with only very minor weathering in selected areas. The window glass appears to be original throughout, with light pitting to the windscreen. All the lenses are in excellent order including the Cibie headlights and Marchal driving lights.

The car sits on very nice deep dish Borrani wire wheels with Dunlop 185 HR 15 tires, a type typical of the period. The interior is trimmed in deep tan-colored upholstery and is virtually new. The seats, door panels, rear luggage shelf, headliner and carpet are all exceptional with virtually no evidence of aging or use since restoration. The gauges are also in very good order, as is the dash top material which shows almost no pulling or distortion as is common for Lussos.

The trunk has been restored and reupholstered in high quality black wool carpet. The engine bay on this example is very much restored with show judging in mind. Present are many of the often missing and difficult to replace items such as the battery hold down, FIAMM horn assemblies, three-ear air cleaner nuts, and factory decals, with correct finishes applied where appropriate.

In addition to the restorative work performed in the late 1990’s, upwards of $70,000 has been spent in recent years to insure this car is in absolute top from. The engine was rebuilt by Fiorano Motors in Monterey, California with new main and rod bearings, pistons and cams. The carburetors and distributors were rebuilt, the clutch disc and pressure place replaced, and the fly wheel resurfaced. The transmission was removed, and the bearings and gaskets replaced. The fronts suspension was rebuilt with new king pins, thrust washers, bushings, rod ends, and bearings. Selected bushings and rod ends were also replaced in the rear suspension.

Various ancillary items were sorted including the dimmer switch, horn assemblies, and heater blower motors, to insure that all the features operate as they did from the factory. Driving this example is a fantastic experience. The engine starts easily and pulls strong with good oil pressure and minimal, if any smoke, as would be expected of a freshly rebuilt engine.

The transmission shifts smoothly with excellent second gear syncro both when warm and cold. The suspension is tight and the brakes effective. All the factory switches and gauges appear to function as intended.

This wonderful example is accompanied by the fully polished spare Borrani wire wheel with matching Dunlop tire, knock-off hammer, and records for the current ownership period. Just 350 Lussos were built in total, and s/n 5875 is among the nicest examples Fantasy Junction had the opportunity to handle.

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