250 GT PF, VIN #3217

I'm curious, Mr. Massini--have heard your name for many years. I am the third owner of Serial # 3217 (GTPF), which was originally sold by the Ferrari dealer in Paris to a Brazillian businessman. He never paid the luxury tax, then returned the car to that dealer (have the dealer's name on my 1974 bill of sale from the second owner, a Mr. Carroll W. Wilson). Wilson bought the car in 1966 and brought it back to the states. It remains in very good original condition, and is a joy to drive. My question: Is it possible to find the name of the first owner? The original export plate is still mounted on the car. Hope this note reaches you--I just joined this forum. Thank you
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Hello, Mr. Massini. Good questions, which I cannot answer. This car was advertised for sale in the Sunday NYT in February, 1974. The ad, which I still have, read simply, "1962 Ferrari convertible, the best anywhere,..." with a Virginia (703) phone number. Having grown up in Virginia, I was curious--never dreaming that I would actually buy the car. The phone number belonged to Carroll Wilson's son. The car was located in Seekonk, Mass., and I lived in Maine, so I arranged to go see it.
Mr. Wilson was a perfect gentleman (and professor at M.I.T), who had decided to buy a Bentley--thus was selling the cabriolet. During the eight years he had owned and driven it in the U.S, the car had been serviced by Libero Gerardi, of Gerardi International Motorcars. At Mr. Wilson's suggestion, I called Mr. Gerardi to ask about the car. He simply said," You will never find a better one." On March 16th, I hitch-hiked from Maine to Providence, and picked up the car from Mr. Gerardi's shop. Unimaginable today, I did this at Mr. Wilson's request--even though I had not yet purchased the car. I delivered the car and a cashier's check, picked up the bill of sale, and drove the car back to Maine that night.
Mr. Wilson must have swapped out the yellow headlights. And, as he did not buy the car until 1966 (in Paris), I do not know about any Massachusetts plates. I love having the original French export plate mounted on the front bumper. During my first few years with the car, Maine police would occasionally stop me and insist that a Maine plate be put there instead. But, after some conversation and an informal introduction to the Ferrari (including a view of the 300 kmh speedometer, to which one young state police officer responded: "Is that miles an hour?!), they let me go.
Mr. Wilson repainted the car in a silver gray, as I am sure you have noted, when it arrived here in 1966. The dash board painted finish is still the original gray. Francois Sicard of Ridgefield, CT. rebuilt the engine about 20 years ago. There have been other repairs, of course, along the way--but the originality is very much there. The car has traveled 115,000 km.
About 10 years ago, I drove the Ferrari to Limerock for the Labor Day vintage races. Racing a Lola was one Paul Wilson, and we began talking in the paddock. I asked if he was related to Carroll Wilson. "Yes," he replied, "He was my father. Why do you ask?" I told him about buying the car many years before. He then told me that other potential buyers had offered more money for the car, but that his father had decided to sell it to me "because I would give it the best home." Not many people do business that way any more....
I'm still wondering if there is a way to find the name of the first owner. This is the single Ferrari I have owned, or will own--so it would be fun to know its history from 1962-66.
Hope our paths will cross one day
Brownie Carson

 

Thank you, Marcel M. and John V. Apologies for slow response--a busy spring! Great to have the name of the original owner. My car has the electric radio antenna on the driver's side rear fender--it rises when I turn on the original (seems) 3-band radio, which still works).

I just returned from a trip to Lexington, Virginia, where I grew up, and visited Paul Wilson in Fairfield. He is still restoring and racing vintage sports cars, and recently completed restoration of a lovely 1956 AC Bristol. He has searched for the history of that car, which apparently started its road-going life in Argentina. The Alpha pictured above is beautiful--completely hand-crafted body of Paul's design. And the Lola rests near a '54 XK120 roadster, an original 1913/14 Regal Underslung, and several other fascinating cars. No Ferrari there now, but he remembers 3217 fondly.

The team at RPM in Vermont just installed a new master brake booster in my car--now for the "driving season!"