Offered from The Chester Collection, One of only 22 right-hand drive examples
1969 Ferrari 365 GTC GTC Berlinetta
Coachwork by Pininfarina
Registration no. EGU 132H
Chassis no. 12747

"Pininfarina clothed it all in a beautifully refined bodyshell employing the nose lines of the 500 Superfast and the tail treatment of the contemporary 275 GTS. It was built at Grugliasco by Pininfarina themselves..." - Hans Tanner & Doug Nye, 'Ferrari', 1984.

In essence a closed version of the 275 GTS, the 330 GTC – immediate forerunner of the 365 GTC - was first shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. Beneath the understated Pininfarina coachwork there was the 4.0-litre version of Ferrari's familiar Colombo-designed two-cam 60-degree V12 (as used in the 330GT 2+2) mated to a five-speed all-synchromesh transaxle. The chassis was of relatively short wheelbase (2,400mm) and the suspension independent all round by wishbones and coil springs. Naturally, there were disc brakes on all four wheels.

Introduced late in 1968 as a replacement for the 330 GTC and given its first public airing at Geneva in March 1969, the 365 GTC was virtually identical in appearance apart from engine cooling vents relocated in the bonnet, a feature it shared with last of the 330s. Installing an 81mm-bore 4.4-litre V12 in place of the 300 GTC's 4.0-litre unit boosted mid-range torque and flexibility while maximum power was raised to 320bhp at 6,600rpm; acceleration improved markedly and the luxury coupés top speed increased to over 150mph. Less obvious to the eye were the refinements made to the drive-train that achieved a marked reduction in cabin noise, a sign that Ferrari understood that 365 GTC customers valued comfort as well as high performance. A sumptuous leather-trimmed interior, electric windows, and heated rear screen were standard equipment, while air conditioning could be ordered as an option. Like so many European sports cars, the 365 GTC (and convertible 365 GTS) would fall victim to increasingly stringent US safety and emissions legislation, production ceasing after less than one year during which time around 150 GTC and 20 GTS models left the factory, of which only 22 were right-hand drive.

The right-hand drive example offered here was delivered new to the official Ferrari dealer Crepaldi Automobili in Milan finished in Azzurro Metallizzato with Nero Connolly hide interior. It may have been intended for a customer in South Africa, hence the right-hand drive configuration and km/h speedometer (both original features). The first owner is not known.

In 1971 the Ferrari was sold to Ron Selig, a resident of Montreal, Canada, and in 1986 was sold by him to David C Nelson of Akron, Ohio. Two years later, in 1988, the car was sold to Sean Quigley in the UK and restored for him by Colin Clarke circa 1990/1991, the colour scheme being changed to dark grey metallic with light grey interior. In 2004 the Ferrari was sold to Andrew Seward in the UK, who had the car re-commissioned by Ferrari expert Neil Corns and re-trimmed in red. The car then went on to win the Paul Baber Trophy at the Ferrari Club Concours at Boughton House in 2005. Meticulously maintained thereafter, it has been re-trimmed again, on this last occasion in black, and fitted with period-correct air conditioning.

The current vendor purchased the Ferrari towards the end of 2018, since when it has been carefully stored at a professional facility and checked over regularly by his own mechanic. Accompanying documentation consists of restoration invoices, a Massini Report, and a V5C Registration Certificate. Strikingly handsome, startlingly fast and much under-rated, this magnificent Ferrari Gran Turismo appears at auction only infrequently, making this rare right-hand drive car an opportunity not to be missed.