why is the 330GT 2+2 so unloved

Nice car, really nice driver...

 

+ 1 I don't get it either. To my eye it is a pretty, classic F car...

 

+2

On the 330 im not a fan of the 4 headlight but the 2 headlights cars look great.

 

This month a group of bankers from Hong Kong bought 5 Series 1 330 GT's to store and speculate. So this won't change their unlovedness but it might 'slightly' effect their value. Guess they didn't buy tom s' for some reason. Is FML the right place to advertise a 330gt? Perhaps not.

 

My 2 cents- I owned '66 330 GT 2+2 # 8025. Great car bought in 2004. Spent $$ making it much better and traded it 3 years later for the 365 GTC/4 I own now. Yes, I miss the 330, its rounded lines, its driving habits, even the bulbous rear, but my wife and I wanted a car with a bit more oomph, better air conditioning, and easier for her to drive (power assisted steering is nice) - I thought about a 365 2+2 but the 70's look of the C4 appealed. Also it is rarer, only 500 or so having been made. The C4 I found had its bumpers painted body color which changed the look of the car for the better, in my opinion. What it all boils down to is personal taste, not writer's choice - and for $100K there definitely is fun variety. If my experience is any indication you can also trade amongst them without getting hosed.

 

Yale,

Also on Ebay! Several times Full international exposure.

Do I need help in marketing? Always a student, willing to learn!

Share your marketing stategies

 

Wasn't critiquing you Tom (for once) just musing if FML is the place for the non-GTE four seaters. Of course the person who removed the original engine from the car (anyone we know?) is probably as much responsible for you not being able to sell the car then the fact it was a 330GT. As I said, there does seem to be a group amassing these without much concern for condition. I know at times you do like to sell cars (330's or others) with their original pieces replaced with repro parts, perhaps they are aware of this in Hong Kong as well? If they are buying for investment purposes (as weird as that might sound to you and me) original engine and other parts would be important t them.

 

John

A 330/365GTC (not to mention the more expensive 275GTB/GTSs and 330/365GTS) drive more like a modern car, a novice collector likes driving usuable collectible cars. Fo example, a 195 inter coupe is generally not an easy car to drive. The driving experience takes effort, skill, patience and understanding of a fragile early car.

I am seeing a definitive switch in interest recently, based on auction results, AWAY from 50's road cars, ROAD 166s, 195s, long chassis 212s, Europas, and certain 250GTs (not icons Superamericas, LWB spyders, PF 1 Cabriolet's, TDF, barchettas) towards 60's and 70's Ferrari sports cars. NOT SPORT SEDANS!

Look at the recent results, my opinion is supported by the numbers.
Note I am a huge 50's Ferrari enthusiast and I have more people leaving my area of interest, then joining.

 

You're right, Tom. But to this enthusiast, when it comes old Ferraris, drivability and comfort is not worth pissing on. The only things that matter are looks, looks and looks.

john

 

And "looks" is opinion oriented discussion.
I'm an engineer, "What the hell do I know about color, design and style!"

Everyone's opinion matters but the rubber meets the road, when the money is exchanged!

Several, not all, 50's road cars are for the moment, not soup d'juer.

 

Let's also not forget that, as a general statement, the "sweet spot" in age for old car collectors are the cars that excited them when they were in high school and just after.

Add in the fact that many (not all, but many) collectors are in their most acquisitive years during their late 40's-early 60's and you can see that the prime era of interest for a, say, 55 year old collector would be about 40 years ago, when he was 15. That is 1971 and explains why cars such as the 275GTBs, the C4s, the Daytonas, the BBs and later are taking the spotlight these days.

A collector who was 15 in 1955 is now 71 years old and probably is not as interested in adding to his collection at this point in time.

Demographics do play a part in what era's cars are the hot cars to own

 

Fantastic news! That means I'll sell my BB for 4 million and buy an SWB for $200k in 10 years' time.

Just look at the value of Bugattis, pre-war Bentleys or veteran cars to know that theory doesn't hold water at all.


Onno

 

Well said, Tom!

 

I've never understood the "drivability" aspect at all. If I can afford a 50's Ferrari and can find one, I could't care less about how user friendly it is. Maybe that feeling would change if I had 20 of them laying around.

 

I never said it was the only factor. Thanks for the snide remarks and lowering the civility of the discussion.

 

Oh how I wish they were unloved into my price range.

 

My daughters sure love the back seats... they call the car Luigi.

But then again, they don't buy vintage v12's
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Nashville guy, your car is a class act. Let's hope some day all surviving GT's will look this good. Congrats.

john

 

If it's not fun to use, then what fun is it to own?

 

Well, let me ask you a question, how many GTC's have been converted to a historic racer? And, if you use base cost, that wouldn't be a good enough argument because I know a hanful of Lussos that have been converted to GTO's.

john

 

I would agree that the series II 330 GT is a bit more desirable than the other two body styles; however the 4-speed with overdrive speaks more to me than a five speed. Regardless I find the model to be a great example of the era. I take great pleasure in the mid-60s style of touring cars, and the 330 GT is right up there with Aston Martin DB4 and 5 with that perfect blend of sophistication and Colombo magic.

The magazine folks need to find something to write about and stay relevant, and I'd expect the 330 GT to come back around as a "favorable" soon. In the interim, it may allow those that truly appreciate the lineage to pick one up at an under market price.

 

For good and for bad the 330 2+2 appeals most to the Ferrari classicist.
The fact that the poseurs have passed on it has made it affordable. Of course its also meant that some have gone to the crusher, been stripped for repros or missed needed maintenance.

I, for one, wouldn't kick one out of my garage for leaking oil

 

Interesting. I've never driven a 50's vintage car that wasn't fun.

 

The drivability of the cars that are being discussed is in my experience very heavily dependent on two variables: Suspension and brakes.

A rigid rear axle provides a completely different driving experience from an independent suspension.

"Decent" brakes are even more important, particularly from a psychological aspect.

A 275 GTB, and everything that came after (including of course the GTC's) feels absolutely modern to me, You can essentially drive these cars nearly in the same way you drive a modern car, plus the enjoyment, minus the reliability. The brakes are adequate, and the suspension is sweet.

Anything that came before, including the 330, is a different matter altogether if you plan on spirited driving. I love my 212, but she is a real *****, won't brake for ****, and takes fast curves with a very unsettling combination of skipping and rocking. Great fun, but too scary and too tiring. My 250 PF behaves in curves the same way as the 212 (nearly), but it does it with excellent disk brakes! That makes a BIG difference. A GTE, which is the closest I have come to a 330 2+2, also suffers from the rigid rear axle.

The GTC on the other hand... It's much better looking IMO than the 2+2, has a wheelbase 20 cm shorter (you can chuck it), brakes perfectly, has independent rear suspension, and near perfect balance. Perhaps this explains the lack of "respect" perceived for the 330 2+2.

However, let me clarify that I love all classic V12 Ferraris, the 330 2+2 among them. In fact, I love all cars built by Ferrari. Real Ferraris.

 

The way we compare one vintage Ferrari with another is wrong. We want to force the car to be the variable while we, the individual, stays the constant. We need to realize that it should be the other way around; the individual should be the variable and the cars should be the constant. What I mean is, when you get behind the wheel of your GTC, you get in the mindset that it is 1967 and you are middle aged man driving the best that money can buy. Then, when you get behind the wheel of your 212, you pretend that it's 1952 and you are driving the best that money can buy. This is the only way to savor these cars. You might compare a 212 with an Aston Martin DB2 or a Jaguar XK 120, but to compare it to a 330 GTC is, well, naive.

Furthermore, it is a fact that, each and every Ferrari, be it a 166 or an Enzo, is a supercar and each has (or had) handling capabilities beyond the ability of us average turkeys.

john