275 GTB/4 Alloy

Yes, I know the car. Yes, several came with factory A/C.

Marcel Massini

 

I think the car fetched such a low figure ($1,265,000) because there was much pre-sale talk that it was badly crashed, rebodied, etc. etc.

Very cheap for an alloy 4cam. Especially considering the 'Platinum' yellow steel 4cam fetched $1.65M at the same auction.

Jarrett posted elsewhere:
"Gerald, which says the car was "WRECKED & TOTALED by Hoffman per rumors extant in 1977-1978". Also, as per Wayne Sparling, he said that he acquired the car "as a wreck" back in the late 1970s."

Here's the auction report from RM:

Automobiles of Amelia Island
Saturday, March 13, 2010

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Alloy Berlinetta
LOT: 122
Estimate: $1,350,000-$1,750,000 US
Chassis No. 275 GTB #09501

AUCTION RESULTS: Lot was Sold at a price of $1,265,000

Chassis no. 09501

According to the factory build sheets, our 275 GTB/4 was completed on January 30, 1967 and delivered new to Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut in March 1967 – just in time for Chinetti’s display of the car at the 11th New York Auto Show held from April 1- 9, 1967.

Some of the Build Sheet information is hereby reproduced:

Original color: “Nocciola” (106-M-27) translates to “Hazelnut”
Interior: “Nero” (Black)
Assembly sequence: # 37
Body #: 0031
Chassis type: 596
Engine type: 226 (Internal # 1610)
Gearbox type: 592/1223 (Internal # 124/1)
Alloy Body (source: Foglio Allestimenti)
Major options: Power windows, full leather seats, radio, instruments in miles

(Air conditioning, not originally supplied, was retro-fitted in the 1972 -1976 period, using the 330 GT/Daytona system, but upgraded by the present owner in the late ‘90s to incorporate a contemporary rotary compressor.)

This GTB/4 was originally sold to John Annis of Tampa, Florida who had it delivered in Chinetti’s race transporter to Sebring. Annis complained about an “engine noise,” so Chinetti took the car back for rectification, replacing it with another 275 GTB/4 (chassis no. 10017).

After Chinetti’s repairs, the car was sold to the real first owner, entrepreneur, auto dealer and race car sponsor Kirk F. White who used it as his “daily driver” from 1968 to 1972. White had by 1968 established Auto Enterprises in Flourtown, Pennsylvania with two partners who also drove four-cams. In a recent interview he recalled, “At first I didn’t know that 09501 was an alloy GTB until I noticed the peculiar roof seams that these cars have. A great car and I have very fond memories of it – it was an absolute rocket ship and reliable as an anvil and I drove it everywhere and almost everyday for about four years. Those were the days.”

Two dealers, Waldron Motors and Ferrari dealer Cressman-Baumgarten of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida became the next owners prior to the later selling 09501 to Samuel Overby Hoffman of Miami in late 1972. Hoffman kept it a further five years, painting it red and displaying it at the 11th FCA Detroit area National in 1973. In 1976 Sam Hoffman “ran out of talent” on a rain-slicked entry to I-95 near Miami and backed the four-cam into a cloverleaf guardrail, denting the left rear quarter-panel in the trunk area and bending the rear wheel and suspension arm. (We mention this since a database describes the car as “badly crashed and written-off.”) In those days, a ten year old Ferrari which sold new for $12,000 was valued at four figures and was often written off instead of repaired, even if the damage was relatively modest.

The Sparlings – Ferrari Enthusiasts Extraordinaire

The present owners, Wayne and Lorene Sparling, purchased 09501 from the insurance firm on January 6, 1977. It was relegated to the “back burner” for some two decades while Sparling worked on other Ferraris in his collection. In about 1998 he started a total two year restoration and debuted the GTB/4 at the Orlando area Concorso Portofino in 2001 where our car won a First Place Trophy. Other prizes accumulated as the Sparlings displayed their car at Amelia Island, Marco Island, Cavallino Classic XII and FCA Sebring and Washington, DC Nationals in the 2001 to 2006 period. In all instances, the car was driven to and from these events. Road rallies and substantial road trips were also undertaken – one of the longest being the Sparlings’ 2004 return journey from central Florida to RM’s 25th Anniversary Celebration in Chatham, Ontario with a stopover in New England, adding about 4,000 miles to the four-cam’s odometer!

Once during the North Carolina Highland Classic Rally, this writer asked Wayne if he ever worried about car problems since he never came in, or on, a trailer. “A properly rebuilt and prepared 12-cylinder Ferrari does not break down and if it does, I can fix anything on it with this,” he said, patting his well-used factory tool roll.

Sparling’s Ferrari expertise, which encompasses every mechanical and body component, was acquired in the most demanding class rooms imaginable – the world’s international racing circuits. From 1966 to 1985, he and Lorene attended every race contested by Luigi Chinetti Sr.’s N.A.R.T. (North American Racing Team) from Le Mans to Daytona and Sebring, to mention a few. “My official job was as a Carrozzeria Mechanic,” he recalls, “but in the end we could repair every aspect of these cars. But don’t talk a lot about me,” the ever modest Sparling admonished. “Tell them about Chinetti’s chief mechanic Nereo Iori, because I learned so much from him – he was an all-rounder, an ex-factory man and there wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix on a 250, 275, Daytona, P4 or 512-S.”

Old Kirk White, who knows a thing or two about cars, recently said, “Wayne Sparling is a true Renaissance Man who can skillfully work on all parts of a vintage Ferrari. When people like him are gone, we will unfortunately never see their likes again. Today everything is sanitized, specialized and computerized – and we are all the poorer for it.”

Recently fully detailed by the owner, our Ferrari 275 GTB/4 alloy berlinetta comes with its build sheet, complete factory tool roll and is fitted with freshly rebuilt Borranis and correct new knock-offs. It is totally ready for any driving adventure, especially those that encourage full use of this car’s 7,000 rpm red-line.

And Wayne Sparling guarantees it!

Cheers,
Mark

 

Congratulations! Glad this one found such a sympathetic custodian.

I hope she pleases you and your family for many, many miles of smiles as she did the previous owners.

Cheers,

Bill

 

Congrats! I saw the car in the day after the accident and remember it exactly as you've described.

Very well bought.

 

1967 NYAS. It's fuzzy and it's a repost, sorry. My photo.

Cheers,
Tom B
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I was the original owner of the GTB/4. I didn't know it was an all alloy car either. it was not delivered to Sebring. It was delivered to Cressman Ferrari in Ft. Lauderdale in Jan of 1967. Due to Chinetti usual bull **** it took 10 days to come from Ct. The truck had the car and about a 1000 bottle of olive oil, Italian of course. By late Feb I knew the engine and gearbox were not right. I ask Chinetti if I could take it to Sebring and have a race team person check it out. I was correct and Chinetti wanted to replace the engine and box in CT. I didn't want him to touch the car. I suggested they take it back and give me a new one that I'd collect at the factory in June. They agreed and that's another story.
Footnote. I think that car is in Tampa (where I live) being ground up at a shop SPECIAL CARS ONLY which does work for a lot of high rollers. How funny after all these years to return to Tampa. If you'd like to read more about the replacement 4 Cam, look up my other post EUROPE VIDEOS in the 550 Maranello section by JATICKER.

 

I'd sure like to have you start a thread with your first hand stories/experience with Chinetti. Not enough of them recounted first hand.

 

Was it Gerald Roush of Ferrari Market Letter that was totally wrong about this car? Did his perception change the value?

 

Sam Hoffman was an attorney Anything repaired by Wayne generally comes out better than the Italians originally did it

Re the vanishing mileage, I observed the same phenominon on a couple of my prior cars.