This 1963 Ferrari 250 GTE is one of 954 2+2 Pininfarina Coupes built during three years of production and one of 300 examples from the third and final series of the model. Chassis 4843 was completed by the factory in July 1963 and originally distributed through Luigi Chinetti Motors of New York to Charles Rezzaghi Motors in San Francisco, California. The car was later moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where it was stored in a garage from the 1970s until 2014. It was acquired by the seller later that year, after which a mechanical recommissioning was performed. Finished in Grigio Argento over Nera leather, the car retains its numbers-matching 3.0-liter Colombo V12 and original four-speed manual transmission with overdrive. Additional features include triple Weber carburetors, four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes, telescopic shocks and coil springs in front and leaf springs out back, Borrani wire wheels, and an Abarth exhaust system. Under the seller’s ownership, the car has been shown at a number of Concours events, including the Concorso di Eleganza Finali Mondiali in 2016, winning a preservation award at the 2015 Palm Beach Cavallino Classic and earning Platino recognition in the preservation class at the 2016 Ferrari Classiche Concours d’Elegance. This Series III 250 GTE is now offered with Ferrari Classiche certification, copies of its factory build sheets, a Marcel Massini report, and a clean Florida title in the seller’s name.
The 250 GTE 2+2 model made its debut at the 1960 Paris Motor Show as Ferrari’s first offering with standard rear seating. This was accommodated by moving the engine forward in the 2,600mm wheelbase chassis, which was shared with previous 250 variants. Pininfarina bodywork is constructed of steel, while aluminum is utilized for the hood and trunk panels. Styling updates for the third series included revised rear fender profiles, single-piece taillights, chrome headlight bezels, and driving lights relocated outward of the grille.
Chassis 4843 was finished from the factory in Grigio Argento, and the exterior currently shows various imperfections, including areas of corrosion. Closeups of the finish, trim, and lenses are provided in the photo gallery below. When removed from storage in 2014, the car still had a 1973 registration sticker affixed to the windshield. Following his acquisition, the seller had assorted dents in the bodywork corrected and the finish polished. Repairs to the floorboard were also carried out.
Borrani RW3690 wire wheels feature three-eared knock-offs and wear Pirelli Cinturato tires, while a matching spare with an older tire is housed in the trunk. The GTE model was equipped with four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes as well as telescopic shock absorbers and coil springs in front and leaf springs out back. The front brakes were missing when the car was acquired by the seller, who subsequently installed rotors and calipers, rebuilt the brake master cylinder, and added new hoses.
Black leather covers the four-place seating as well as the doors, center console, and dash. Contrasting red carpeting lines the footwells, and a three-spoke wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of the painted dash face.
Veglia instrumentation includes a 180-mph speedometer and an 8k-rpm tachometer as well as a clock and gauges for oil pressure, oil temperature, coolant temperature, fuel level, and amperage. The five-digit odometer shows 79k miles, around 50 of which have been added by the seller.
The 3.0-liter Colombo V12 features an aluminum block, aluminum cylinder heads with single overhead camshafts, spark plugs on the outer side of each cylinder bank, individual intake ports, and coil valve springs. Revisions to the cylinder head and valvetrain designs for Series III cars increased the compression ratio to 9.1:1. A mechanical recommissioning performed by the seller included cleaning the triple Weber 36 DCS carburetors, changing the oil several times, cleaning the fuel tank, rebuilding the starter, and installing new spark plugs and ignition points.
Number 4843 is shown stamped on the engine block above and matches the chassis number, which is shown in the gallery on the chassis plate and frame. Internal number 1422/62 also matches the number listed on the factory build sheets and in the Ferrari Classiche report. The gearbox is numbered 258/63, the differential is numbered 222/63 and are both described in the Ferrari Classiche report as the original units.
Late-production 250 GTEs feature three-into-one exhaust headers, which on this example lead into an Abarth exhaust system, as listed on the factory build sheet. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an all-synchromesh four-speed manual transmission with Laycock de Normanville overdrive. The transmission fluid was changed under the seller’s ownership, and a new clutch plate was installed along with a new shifter bushing.
The scheda tecnica certificazione, Classiche Red Book and the Marcel Massini report are all available for viewing upon request.