1961 GT 250 SWB Mystery Car !!!

Hi everyone, my name is Dominic Lombardo and I grew up on Fourth Street in Troy, New York. Back in 1967 a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute rented an apartment several blocks from my house. His daily driver was a SWB. Over the years everyone regarded my story as a pipe dream, but I recently found the pictures which I had taken personally on Fourth street!!! I seem to remember the car as either red or burgundy, but that was so long ago! The car has a New York State license plate attached to the grille which can be seen in my original photo. It is GZ209.... and another digit which cannot be seen. Anybody know what county that would have been? I have been spending a lot of time in the old neighborhood hoping to find it stiil sitting in a garage, but no luck yet!! Enjoy the pictures and I welcome your comments!
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First it's not a '61 car. You can tell from the shape of the side windows its a '59 car.

 

Great Photos!

 

Very cool.

 

Those were the day, eh? In 1967 a SWB was just another used car, an expensive used car but a used car nonetheless.

Nice shots!

 

Not a 1959 car either as 59 cars had no side vents to front wings..... I think there were only 2 cars built in 1959.....1539 and 1613.......I owned 1539 in the 1980's and sold 1613 in 1997. Neither had any vents nor rear license plate inserts to trunk......You are correct about the window though as that is the same as the 1959 cars.........My guess is that its 1960. pics attached of 1539 & 1613.
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There were 9? SWB Berlinettas made without wing vents but some of them had vents fitted to them soon after. See here: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vintage-thru-365-gtc4-sponsored-redline-restorations/375590-250-tdf-vs-250-swb-13.html

 

But only 2 in 1959.......

 

Agreed. Interestingly, but not relevant to this thread, 1539 also had vents added to it by DK Engineering in the nineties but has since reverted to ventless form as we have seen in the 250 TdF vs 250 SWB thread.

 

Relevant as it was posted as a possible 1959 car......Steve, I hate arguing with you but I know 1539 rather well.....I sold at the wrong time in the mid 1980's. DK looked after it for me and indeed put it back to the correct LHD configuration...A previous owner Vic Norman had had it switched to RHD for the UK.......I sold to Europe where it had two further owners and then came up for sale in Coys Showroom in about 1996 or 1997......I borrowed the car from them and sold it to its present owner through an introduction of Robert Brooks. It was shipped to Bob Smith Coachworks in Ft Worth TX. The picture I posted earlier in this thread is from 96/97 just prior to it being shipped and please note there are NO wing vents..........

 

Paul, I wasn't arguing with you and I do not like arguing with you either. I did not mean what you said was not relevant but that what I had said about the vents was not relevant to the thread as the vents were added to 1539 in the nineties and the pictures are from 1967. Vents were added in 1995 according to barchetta. See here: 250 GT s/n 1539GT

 

Sadly not everything that is printed is true. Its why I jump when I read something misleading on here. Once in print futiure generations take it as gospel. I see 5 glaring mistakes in the Barchetta thread on 1539........ Now this may well be irelevant but 1539 has never had front wing vents......or rear before you pick me up !

 

Thank you for clarifying that 1539 never had any front or rear wing vents added to it.

 

So, back to the challenge du jour, what car might this be?!

 

Could be a car before 1875 GT. It has no air vent in the roof above rear window. Could be 1757 GT.

 

Before the vent in the roof was introduced a vent in the rear window was added that was absent on the very first cars? This does look like a very early car that could well have had the front and rear wing vents added. Does the OP know the name of the student who owned the car in 1967? Accrding to Barchetta 1757 GT went to the US in 1967 and was owned by Larry Dent. It was painted red just before. See here: http://www.barchetta.cc/english/all.ferraris/detail/1757gt.250gt.htm

 

Thank you for your replies. I was 16 years old when I took the pictures, and unfortunately never met the owner or knew his name. I'm sure the key lies with the New York State License plate..GZ.

 

Hi Dominic,
You know, better than me that, at that time, the US registration plates were embossed with in bottom right corner the registration year (two numbers) and with different color plates according to the years:
New York:
1960-61 : NY EMPIRE STATE, orange numbers on black background
1962-63 : NY EMPIRE STATE, black numbers on orange background
1964-65 : WORLD'S FAIR, orange numbers on black background
1966-73 : NEW YORK, yellow numbers on blue background

I don't find any county with only the 2 letters GZ but there are several counties with three letters including GZ
Please, can we have the best possible photogtaph of this registration plate ?
Thanks a lot for sharing these pics.
Germain.

 

In earlier (pre-1973) county codes GZ is Nassau, not far from Troy.

This post is a good remainder what F-chat used to be about: people posting their amazing photos from times long gone - plus their stories. Now it seems to be endless flooding of useless youtube links and naiive opinions on the market.

Many thanks for taking the time to post these photos. I salute standing on my chair!

Best wishes, Kare

 

Great pics.

Only Cars in the USA:

My records show. 1931GT sold to Chinetti and to Grossman. could be the one.

Also 2237GT Chinetti to Hayes than Grossman. I dont know about fire in Elkhart
It did have a small fire on the used car lot at Bob Grossmans dealership. Gas leaked from a Jag!! on the ground and started a fire. 2237GT tire started burning and melted part of the front fender and the hood. damage was not extensive. I bought the car from Bob in 1971. I think it was yellow at the time.

2251GT seams to have been in the states also at tht time!!

I think these are to only canidates. I vote for 1931GT

p

 

Not 1931GT which had horizontal side vents.

Rather 2237GT...

 

1931GT had a rear window vent, no turn signal indicators early on but tear drops indicators in recent pics.

2237GT has rear vent window. No turn signal indicators in most pics but may have had the small round indicators??? pictured at Bridgehampton with Bob Grossman in May, 1961. See pic and link here: http://barchetta.mediacenter.studioline.net/Automobiles/-/Ferrari/odd-numbers-Street-Cars/odd-numbers-001S-9099/2001GT-2999GT/2201GT-2299GT/2237GT-250-GT-SWB/?Dir=1968717

2251GT has a rear roof vent and side vent windows.
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2237GT seems a solid candidate.

 

I bet anything it's 2237GT...

 

This pic with no indicators claims to be 2237GT too at Bridgehampton 28.5.61 Bob Grossman. RSC Photo Gallery - SCCA National Bridgehampton - Classes: AP+BP+CP 1961 - Ferrari 250 GT no.13 - Racing Sports Cars