The term rear seats was a generous term that referred the two small pads ( not really seats) or whatever they were called that were in the rear. It was possible with difficulty to fit two people in the space behind the front seats for very short trips.
Perhaps somebody who has all the relevant magazines from 1971/1972 could scan the "for sale" adverts to see if your car was advertised. If pictured a few other clues may be found? Also @Mr Gagarin, do any of your friends have pictures of the car, or even of the engine bay?
The car was only advertised in The New York Times in the classified section with no pictures. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera and the only pictures i have were taken with my girlfriend's (now wife) camera. It was not an easy sale. Sold it for $5000, what I paid for it not including the $500 I spent on a new muffler. Nearly cried when it drove out of the driveway.
Perhaps whoever bought the car after you sold it, may have sold it to the trade, and was then advertised with pictures. If I had the magazines of around that time, and a few years later, I would enjoy checking them to see if your car could be identified and found.
A few things spring to mind: We don't actually know for certain Mr Gagarin's car was supplied new to Italy. Sounds like Viviano Corradini traded in cars internationally so it may have been supplied new to somewhere over the Italian border. We are not 100% certain the car had 6 carbs. The car may have been supplied new with a 3 carb set up and converted early on to 6 carbs. I've read of a few 3 carb 275 GTBs being uprated to 6 carbs early on at the factory. The car could have been colour changed. Was the car definitely supplied new in 1966, and not late 1965?
Does anyone know Francois Sicard in the USA to ask him about this GTB's history? Maybe he has worked on the car in the past? He is certainly the right age.
That would be a question to put to Francois Sicard via Tom Yang on his site tomyang dot net. He is working closely with FS. Might be worth trying Tom’s site for more info. BR Christopher
6. I know this is nearly 50 years ago, and a very long shot, but paying Chinetti $500, 10% of the car's then value for the muffler must have hurt, and could have made that time memorable. During the course of the fitment of the muffler, it may have been noticed by Chinetti, and stated to Mr Gagarin that the car had the torque tube drive shaft, or not, which could narrow the search.
To the best of my knowledge back in the early 1970s François Sicard hadn't open up his own shop yet. At the time he still worked for Chinetti. Marcel Massini
Corradini usually only sold cars out of Italy. Not cars INTO Italy (coming from abroad). Andrew Gagarin claims he purchased his car in February 1969. It could be a 65 or 66. The last 275 GTB built is #08979 and the date of certificate of origin for that car is 16 September 1966. Marcel Massini
He may have fitted the muffler at Chinetti's and remember the car, and who may have owned it later if it came back to Chinetti's for more work?
At Cammisa Motors in Burlingame, CA ( in the San Francisco area in 1997) a 275 GTB/4 with white exterior (can't recall the interior color) which had a headrest of the same type, as in your post, was at that facility and the car was white. The car was under the care of Larry Cammisa and Brandon Lawerence. It looked like post #94 had an exterior color of white.....thank you for the correction. I can tell you that there was, in fact, a car at Cammisa at that time back in 1997 which had a passenger head rest of the type in your photo in post #94. Geoff Provo and Mike Alred were the mechanics there at that time. Maybe you know the serial number of that car??
Re post #94 and the photo of the passenger headrest, here's a pic of the entire car (275 GTB/4 chassis #09865), Grigio Notte (night gray) with Rosso VM 3171 interior. The "white" color was just a reflection due to the light, if you look at the pic in post #94 closely, you will see on top right, on the roof, that there is no white color. Marcel Massini Image Unavailable, Please Login
A beautiful 4cam. From the spots on the driveway I'm guessing that the owner has some British cars as well?
A total of sixteen (16) 275 GTB/4's were originally fitted with headrests (sometimes just for the passenger). None of these 16 with headrests was originally Bianco (white) or Avorio (Ivory). Marcel Massini
I have been following the thread, but can offer no real guidance. I do agree, we have no proof the car was a six carb car. The list of Italian delivery, alloy long-nose cars is the best place to start.
Pictured is an after market 275 GTB 6 carb air filter box. If the original filter has the same design, the filter divisions in to what looks like a 3 X 4 arrangement may be why Mr Gagarin thought the carb arrangement was as he thought when he took the cover off. Image Unavailable, Please Login