This Ex-Eric Clapton 1966 Ferrari Can Be Yours for Nearly $4 Million

Among the beauty pageant of 1960s Ferrari road cars, arguably the most dazzling is the 275 GTB/4 coupe. Masterfully designed by Pininfarina and hand-built by Scaglietti, this exquisitely proportioned berlinetta combines jaw-dropping style with towering V-12 power and performance.

It’s no wonder that the so-called “four cam” attracted the attention of celebrity car lovers the world over. The roster of A-list owners included such names as Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, James Coburn, Miles Davis, George Harrison, and Ralph Lauren. In the case of this 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, guitar great Eric Clapton is included in its provenance. Clapton acquired chassis No. 09261, one of just 31 right-hand-drive examples built, in 2003. During the two years he owned it, Clapton commissioned an exhaustive 12-month restoration.

Developed from the original 1964 275 GTB, the updated GTB/4 debuted in 1966 and was distinguished by its longer nose and power-domed hood, along with a more powerful four-camshaft version of the legendary Colombo V-12 engine. It was also the first road-going Ferrari equipped with a five-speed manual transaxle and all-round independent suspension. Producing 300 hp, the power plant enables the car to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 163 mph. In total, just 300 examples of the 275 GTB/4 were built between 1966 and 1968.

The story of this ex-Clapton car begins in London, when it was ordered on July 4, 1966, by businessman Robin Houry. According to research by the team of classic-car specialists at Fiskens, which currently has the vehicle listed for sale, Houry had business interests in Kenya. It seems he had explained to Ferrari’s U.K. distributor, Maranello Concessionaires, that, after taking delivery of the car, he would keep it in the U.K. for six months before shipping it to Kenya.

While this plan had been agreed to by Maranello Concessionaires, no one had informed the factory, which sent the car directly to Kenya’s port of Mombasa. Though Houry was said to be furious at the mix-up, he decided to keep the car in Africa and put it to good use in amateur races organized by the East African Motor Sports Club. But come 1968, Houry had sold the silver 275 GTB/4 to his business partner Brian Lees.

After acquiring the car, Lees reportedly wagered the pilot of a twin-engined Douglas DC-3 that his V-12-powered Ferrari could get from Nairobi to Mombasa—a 300-mile drive on barely paved local roads—faster than the prop plane. The Ferrari won, covering the distance at an average speed of more than 80 mph.

“Ferrari road cars like this don’t often come with such a wealth of period documentation. But 09261’s includes a spectacular history file that includes copies of factory documentation, details of its time in Kenya, and charming correspondence between Maranello Concessionaires and the first and second owners,” says Fiskens founder Gregor Fisken. 

Eventually shipped to the U.K. in 1970, the car was sold the following year to renowned automotive illustrator James Allington, who kept it for over three decades. Famed for his intricate cutaway drawings, Allington completely disassembled the Ferrari to create a highly technical “see-through” illustration of the GTB/4’s inner workings. While being put back together, the car was repainted bright red to match his cutaway representation.  

Following Allington’s death, his cars, including the Ferrari, were  consigned to a Christie’s auction in December of 2002. While chassis No. 09261 was the star, it ultimately failed to hit its reserve. A few months later, Clapton added the Ferrari to his own expansive collection, immediately commissioning British Ferrari specialist DK Engineering to carry out the year-long restoration that returned the car to its original Grigio Argento livery.

Clapton sold the vehicle in 2005, and it was subsequently passed through a number of owners before being snapped-up five years later by music-equipment executive Niall Holden, who has a collection that includes the ex-Rod Stewart 1972 Lamborghini Muira SV. Holden gave the Ferrari yet another repaint, this time in metallic dark blue.

In January of 2022, this Prancing Horse was sold to its current custodian, yacht designer Terence Disdale, whose creations include the 533-foot Eclipse, commissioned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Always aspiring to own a silver 275 GTB/4, Disdale immediately embarked on a full bare-metal repaint to return the car to its original Grigio Argenta. Over two years, he invested approximately $250,000 on a nut-and-bolt restoration, plus about $33,000 on an interior retrim, taking it from black to tan.

“I believe the 275 GTB is the most beautiful car ever designed. It is a constant inspiration for its minimal style and elegance,” Disdale tells Robb Report. “And contrary to modern design that’s angry and aggressive, this Ferrari is a masterpiece of balance and purposeful style.”

Fiskens has the Ferrari listed at 2.95 million British pounds (roughly $3.9 million). For reference, a yellow 1967 Ferrari GTB/4 sold at Mecum’s Indianapolis sale in May for $2.86 million, and an ice-blue 1967 example was sold by Broad Arrow at The Amelia in March for $3.4 million. It is, however, well below the $6.05 million raised for the 1-of-16 alloy-bodied 1967 GTB/4 at Mecum’s Kissimmee sale in January.

“Classiche certified with matching numbers, immaculately restored and finished in its original Grigio Argento—arguably the 275’s most synonymous color—this is one of the loveliest four-cams we’ve ever come across,” Fiskens tells Robb Report. Having Clapton as part of its past, though, is what gives it true rock-star status.

Click here for more photos of Eric Clapton‘s former 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/4.