1966 aluminum Ferrari 275 GTB searching for | FerrariChat

1966 aluminum Ferrari 275 GTB searching for

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by asgtech, Dec 5, 2019.

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  1. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
    Full Name:
    ANDREW GAGARIN
    In 1969 I purchased an aluminum Ferrari 275 GTB long nose in Naples, Italy and had it shipped to the US. The car was sold in 1971 or 1972. Until recently I didn't realize that it was one of approximately 16. I have looked everywhere trying to find the VIN but have had no luck. Given that there were so few of these cars produced I'm hoping that it might somehow be possible to track down my lost love.

    There are several unique identifying characteristics such as a small repaired dent in the right upper nose, a small repaired dent in the right bumper, and the cloth seats were replaced with black leather in Italy. he car also has a full service manual in Italian.
    Any help in how I might be able to find this car would be appreciated. I could also fill in the early history of the car which might be of interest to the current owner or historians. Attached are some pictures.

    Thanks in advance for any help.
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  2. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 Marcel Massini, Dec 5, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2019
    Andrew

    Great post, thank you.
    From whom in Naples did you buy it?
    When? How did you find it? Newspaper?
    When did you sell? And to whom? To somebody in Palo Alto/CA?
    Seems the car was Amaranto? Or Rosso Rubino? Or Rosso Cordoba?
    Did it have 3 or 6 carbs?
    Do you know which Italian license plate it had at the time of purchase?

    BTW 76 long nosed 275 GTB's were originally alloy bodied.

    Marcel Massini
     
  3. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
    Full Name:
    ANDREW GAGARIN
    There was a man named Viviano Coradini who advertised in Car and Driver magazine saying that he was an American living in Italy that specialized in used Ferraris. In 1969 I was stationed on the Shangri La, CVA 38, which made a port call in Naples. I looked up Viviano Coradini and we arranged to meet. He had three cars for sale. A 1966 maroon 275 GTB, a 275 GTB 4 in fly yellow, and a 250 Berlinetta Lusso. Each car was $5,000, take your pick.
    I chose the 1966 maroon 275 GTB largely because it was aluminum and wouldn't rust. I asked for a service manual and a parts manual. I was given the standard 275 GTB parts manual which I still have, and a service manual which in Italian and bound with a heavy brown cardboard like cover. The car had cloth in the center of the front seats and I asked to have the seats redone in black leather which Coradini had done before the car was shipped to the US. I have a vague recollection that Coradini mentioned that the car had been originally owned by a Ferrari racing team driver but he wasn't sure who. Unfortunately at the time I didn't know enough to press the point. I also didn't know until a few years ago when watching Chasing Classics that there were only 16 aluminum 1966 275 GTB's made though that may be incorrect, but the magazine Cavalino also lists 16 as the number made.
    The car was shipped to Jacksonville, Florida and during the trip it sustained a small dent in the nose which was repaired. The body shop was able to match the color which could mean that it was a standard Ferrari color but I don't know. I do know that the paint was lacquer.
    The car had 3 four barrel Weber carburetors which I remember distinctly because when got the car I took off the air cleaner which was attached with a slew of small acorn nuts. As luck would have it one of the nuts fell out of the socket wrench and tumbled down the throat of one of the carburetors. I nearly had a heart attack but luckily the nut was caught by the throttle plate.
    I don't remember any Italian license plate. The car was registered first in Florida and then in Vermont with the plate S 495. I have tried Florida, and Vermont DMV's but they don't have records back that far.
    In 1971 or 1972 the car was sold in Connecticut for $5000 to man who owned a car dealership in Danbury, Connecticut. I only remember that his name was something like Donelley or Docherty. Also, the car has new muffler installed by the Chinetti dealership in Greenwich, Ct. Selling the car was one of the few things I regret in life.
    I've always wondered what happened to the car. Does it still exist, is it in a barn in Danbury or has it been restored. Here are a few more pictures from 1969. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
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  4. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

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    #4 miurasv, Dec 5, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2019
    The car would have had either 3 double choke Weber carbs or 6, not 3 x 4 barrel Webers. The 16 number may have been regarding the number of 6 carb alloy body Long Nose 275 GTBs made or 16 torque tube 6 carb alloy bodied 275 GTBs? One of the cars that Viviano Corradini exported to the US was 3 carb alloy body 275 GTB 08255.
     
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  5. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

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    #5 miurasv, Dec 5, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2019
  6. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

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    RM Sotheby's 08255 description here.

    Owned by a Dr Abbey Dodd in the 1970s.
     
  7. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    As of 1970 08255 was still painted Argento Metallizzato (not red) and fitted with a chromed front grille guard.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  8. TTR

    TTR F1 Veteran
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    Timo
    While in the same general location, nose dents on two pictured cars appear quite different in shape and size, not to mention number of other appearance and detail differences.
     
  9. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
    Full Name:
    ANDREW GAGARIN
    08255 is close but the wheels are different and the color of my car was maroon. I'm sure that maroon was the original color. As to the carbs, if it didn't come with four barrels, it was most likely 3 two barrels as I don't remember it having 6. It is interesting that the front seats are the same as the ones in my car. I wonder if Viviano Corradini had the same coach builder do the seats in 08255. I'm astonished that someone else knows of Viviano Corradini and that he exported other 275 GTBs
    Regarding the number made, I'm in no way a historian and only have a rudimentary knowledge of production numbers etc. When I saw the number 16 it gave me hope that if very few were made I might have a chance of finding it.
    Thanks for your help.
    Andy Gagarin
     
  10. TTR

    TTR F1 Veteran
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    Timo
    Well Mr. Gagarin (your surname sure sounds familiar ;)), I believe your search is on the right track.
    You may not know, but Mr. Massini if anyone, is the person who should be able to crack this mystery (actually I'm almost surprised he hasn't already :)).

    P.S. Was "her" sweater specifically chosen for color match ?
     
  11. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    That's amazing!

    Although maybe more common than we today would think, in parking......
     
  12. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Like Timo I recognized your last name too. Any chance you are related to Yuri? I have no idea how common the name Gagarin is.
     
  13. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
    Full Name:
    ANDREW GAGARIN
    We believe we are related as my father a Yuri look like twin brothers and one side of our family first names runs Boris Yuri. However, our family was forced to flee Russia in 1917 and it is difficult to trace that part of the family. Here's a picture of my father and Yuri. What do you think? Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  14. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Quite similar. Even the hair line.
     
  15. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Viviano Corradini was a well known dealer and brokered/sold many Italian classic cars (not just Ferraris) in the 1960s from Italy to USA. Another very well known dealer from Italy in those years was Michele Vernola in Milan.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  16. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    The ONLY longnosed 275 GTB originally painted Marrone 20-R-189 was chassis number 08029 but that is a six carb 275 and it lives in Wisconsin since 40 years.
    08029 was exported from Italy to USA in about 1970. 08029 originally had a Beige VM 3218 interior. 08029 is an alloy bodied 275 GTB/6C, sold new 5 January 1966 in Bologna, Italy, to a 39 year old American (born in Globe, AZ/USA) who at the time lived in Bologna. 08029 stayed in Bologna until at least late 1967.

    Marcel Massini
     
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  17. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
    Full Name:
    ANDREW GAGARIN
    40 minutes ago New
    The ONLY longnosed 275 GTB originally painted Marrone 20-R-189 was chassis number 08029 but that is a six carb 275 and it lives in Wisconsin since 40 years.
    08029 was exported from Italy to USA in about 1970. 08029 originally had a Beige VM 3218 interior. 08029 is an alloy bodied 275 GTB/6C, sold new 5 January 1966 in Bologna, Italy, to a 39 year old American (born in Globe, AZ/USA) who at the time lived in Bologna. 08029 stayed in Bologna until at least late 1967.

    Thanks for the reply . The mystery deepens.
    If 08029 is the only long nosed 275 GTB originally painted maroon it could be the car.
    What do I think we know for sure.
    I know the car was a 1966.
    From the pictures can it be established that it is a Long nosed 275 GTB or is a long nosed 275 GTB something else?
    I checked my Navy discharge papers and the car arrived in the US in May or June of 1969 and was probably purchased in February or March.
    I dropped a drop of brake fluid on the fender which removed the paint and there was no other color paint underneath. There also was no hint of another color anywhere on the car. As a result I think maroon must be the original color.
    The original front seats had a brownish colored cloth down the middle with black leather on the side bolsters. Could this be what's called a beige interior?
    I know the car was alloy bodied. That was why I bought it and not the GTB4. I also remember putting a magnet on it ans it was non magnetic.
    I don't think it had 6 carbs but it could have.
    No one ever said it was a 6C and I didn't know what a 6C was until recently. 6C wasn't on any paperwork that I had at least that I can remember. Considering the lack of available knowledge at the time it's seems possible that it was a 6C but no one knew it or considered it material.

    Where does this leave us? Could the car be 08029? If not then what?
     
  18. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
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    ANDREW GAGARIN
    A footnote on the last post. Fifty year old memories are tough, but thinking about it, I originally thought the car had 3 four barrel Webers because it had 12 intakes. As a young rookie 12 intakes brings to mind 3 four barrels. I wouldn't have thought that it could have 6 two barrels instead. That was unheard of in the day. The mind fits what it's seeing into the framework of what it expects to see. After the trauma of dropping a acorn nut into the throat of one of the carburetors, I quickly put the cover back together and probably never looked at it closely again.

    Thanks for bearing with an old man trying to remember his first love.
     
  19. miurasv

    miurasv F1 World Champ

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    #19 miurasv, Dec 6, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2019
    On a 275 GTB 12 intakes = 12 chokes = 6 double choke Weber carbs.

    Yes, from your pictures the car can be identified as a 2 cam (SOHC) Long Nose 275 GTB from its body features/details and an alloy bodied car from the long roof rain gutters over the sail panels, although one steel bodied car is known to have the longer gutters.
     
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  20. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    B-pillar: Alloy bodied 275 GTB's have an extended rain gutter (coachbuilder Scaglietti wanted to hide as much as possible of the seam). Steel bodied 275 GTB's have a shorter rain gutter that ends at the corner/edge of the side window. Steel bodied 275 GTB's have no seam.
    Sample pix here.
    Mr Gagarin, your photos clearly show a 275 GTB with an extended/long rain gutter, hence it must have been an alloy bodied car.

    Marcel Massini


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  21. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    No. That is not called a beige interior.
    Here are two sample pix of two 275 GTB/4 beige interiors.
    Beige = tan. Full leather = even the center part of the seat is in the same color leather. NO cloth center part. That would be something else.

    Marcel Massini

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  22. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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  23. 375+

    375+ F1 World Champ
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    Dec 28, 2005
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    There might be some confusion between Maroon with Marrone(chestnut). Marcel's original color suggestions
    might be more accurate. Marrone is more brown than red IIRC, it is tough to say using the faded colors of 50 year old snapshots. Great story and I am enjoying the hunt!
     
  24. asgtech

    asgtech Rookie

    Dec 5, 2019
    44
    Islamorada, FL
    Full Name:
    ANDREW GAGARIN
    A new discovery this morning! Upon hearing that 08029 had a beige interior, my wife said that she thought my GTB had tan interior. A close look at the only poor picture of the interior that I have reveals a beige interior, not black like I had thought! Looking closely you can see the tan floor on the right and the tan gear shift tunnel. On the left you can see the tan side door panel.
    A little searching found a picture at https://uncrate.com/1966-ferrari-275-gtb6c-alloy-berlinetta/ of what the article describes as one of 8 alloy bodies cars with completely different body work from the production version. To my untrained eye my car matches exactly the one in the picture I've posted here. 08029 may well be the one.
    I think Marcel Massini may have found my car! ? What do you think?
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  25. Marcel Massini

    Marcel Massini Two Time F1 World Champ
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    This black one here is 08311.

    Marcel Massini
     

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