It growls like a lion, looks like a true work of art and it represents pure history. Winner of the 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours, the 1969 Spa-Francorchamps 1,000 km and the 1969 Imola 500 km endurance races with the Swiss Scuderia Filipinetti team, this beauty will go under the hammer in January.
The eleventh of a series of only twelve cars, this race winner was delivered to the famous Georges Filipinetti and has enjoyed an exceptional and well-documented history. The rare Ferrari 275 GT competed in Le Mans in three consecutive years and came first in its class at its debut in 1967.
Ever since it left the factory this car was meant for competition. Built around a new chassis specific to this model, it was lighter and stronger than the chassis of the standard series, wrapped in an ultra-thin alloy body and fitted with quick-access exterior fuel and oil filler caps. Under the bonnet this race beast hides a powerful 3.3-liter V12 engine that was created with extensive factory modifications.
Currently listed at the eccentric auction house Bonhams, the car did go through some “near death” experiences, but always managed to get out of it as a true winner. After racing with Filipinetti, the car retired to several respected American collection during the 1970s and 1980. In the early 1980s it was involved in a warehouse fire that severely damaged the body, but underneath everything remained untouched. The engine, transmission, transaxle and most importantly the chassis remained intact.
In 1985 it was shipped to Italy where its bodywork was meticulously restored by renown experts from Carrozzeria Brandoli. After that, even though it never conquered any new awards on the race track again, it did continue to win several honors at contemporary shows and events, including the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and has participated in Le Mans Classique and Silverstone Classic.
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