This 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS Could Fetch Nearly $2 Million at Auction

Ferrari was well into its parade of victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans by 1964, the year that the marque debuted its road-going 275 Gran Turismo Berlinetta (GTB) and 275 Gran Turismo Spider (GTS) at the Paris Salon exhibition. Now, an example of the Ferrari 275 GTS, one of only 200 built through 1966, will be presented at Broad Arrow’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Auction, being held May 24 through 25, in Italy.

The 275 model was the successor to Maranello’s 250 lineup, and both new-at the-time hardtop and droptop variants introduced noteworthy elements from the motorsport-focused machines campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari during the period. These, according to Ferrari’s own online description, included “a combined gearbox and differential in a transaxle assembly, and the provision of independent rear suspension.” This was next-gen performance born from racing and applied to touring, and it was all driven by a 260 hp, 3.3-liter Colombo V-12—with 275 cc of displacement per cylinder, hence the moniker—mated to the aforementioned five-speed manual transaxle. The result was a convertible that crests 150 mph.

Defining the la dolce vita ethos of the day, at least as far as automotive aesthetics, the 275 GTS owes both its styling and actual bodywork to Pininfarina, which dresses a chassis that features a 94-inch wheelbase. Interestingly, the GTB version—of which 450 were made—was built by Carrozzeria Scaglietti.

“The Ferrari 275 GTS is a universally stunning and timeless design, and a staple in discerning Ferrari collections across the globe,” says Joe Twyman, Broad Arrow’s vice president of sales for Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. He also touts the “car’s gorgeous lines” and the fact that the power plant offers “a vast improvement in torque and usability over its 250 SWB predecessor.”

The example set to cross the auction block through Broad Arrow, chassis No. 07305, is presented in the original color scheme of Rosso Rubino Chiaro for the exterior, complemented by Nero Franzi leather inside. It was acquired new by German industrialist Viktor Rolff, who, according to Broad Arrow’s research, had been a sponsor of Formula 1 driver Count Wolfgang Berghe von Trips.

After logging more than 10,500 miles with it, Rolff relinquished his stewardship to a new owner that put another roughly 17,400 miles on the odometer in around nine months. Then, after being in Portugal for at least 40 years and receiving a thorough restoration in 2011, the car was acquired in 2020 by its latest owner, who resides in the U.K.

“This particular car is Ferrari Classiche certified, retains its original engine, body, and chassis, is beautifully clothed in a factory color combo, and offered with a history compiled by historian Marcel Massini,” says Twyman. “Serious collectors need look no further.”

Yet serious collectors will indeed have plenty to distract them, as another star car being presented is one of the first two Prancing Horses ever sold to the public—a 1948 Ferrari 166 Spyder Corsa, estimated to be valued at between approximately $6 million and $8.2 million. Also vying for attention will be a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C Lago Spéciale Coupé (estimated value between approximately $4.9 million and $7.1 million), a 2022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 (estimated value between $2.5 million and $2.7 million), and a 1958 BMW 507 Series II Roadster (estimated value between approximately $2.2 million and $2.5 million).

As for this Ferrari 275 GTS, a convertible that epitomizes the seemingly effortless elegance of the period, it carries a high-end estimate of nearly $2 million. “The car is right at home at our inaugural Italian sale at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este,” says Twyman, “and is sure to stop attendees in their tracks just as it did in Ferrari’s golden age.”

Click here for more photos of this 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS.