It has been revealed by Gooding & Company that it will be offering the very first Ferrari 275 GTB prototype that was ever constructed. This prototype was utilized by the factory as a development car and even participated in the Monte-Carlo Rally. The sale will take place in Scottsdale in January.
Chassis #06003, the first and only 275 GTB prototype, was constructed in 1964 with the original short-nosed bodywork. Ferrari utilized this chassis to design the production vehicles that were to come in the future. As a result, it went through a number of modifications, one of which being the installation of the modernized longnose Scaglietti bodywork. The automobile was sold in April of 1965, but it was brought back to the factory in November of that same year. It was then that it was decided that #06003 would be subjected to additional testing in order to acquire information regarding the model’s independent rear suspension and transaxle, which were recently introduced at the time.
Following that, the vehicle underwent around 12,000 kilometers of testing, during which time it was equipped with a variety of rallying add-ons, such as the spotlights, radiator blind, additional windscreen wiper, and modified bonnet that are already visible today. During this time, preparations were being made for the Monte-Carlo Rally of 1966, which was driven by Giorgio Pianta and Roberto Lippi, who served as the navigator. The Works provided unofficial support for the Ferrari. Pianta later noted that the encounter was “the most beautiful memory of my life,” despite the fact that the two individuals took their retirement.
Today, the one-of-a-kind Ferrari prototype is displayed in the Monte-Carlo Rally configuration and specifications. The automobile has been kept in a private collection for the past quarter of a century, and it has not been displayed at any prominent concours or classic motorsport events during that time. We can only hope that the person who places the winning bid at Gooding & Co’s Scottsdale 2019 sale on January 18–19 (estimated to be between 6 and 8 million US dollars) is willing to take the car back to the snowy Alpine passes that are located above Monte-Carlo. One can only dream, right?
