Tag Archives: Kare

Keeping Tabs On 954 2+2s – Ferrari 250 GT/E 2+2 #3601GT

Looking for information about today’s featured Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 I checked out all the usual suspects the DVLA Vehicle Check site suggests this car was built in 1961 and registered in the UK on the 20th of November 2012.

Barchetta has not got a note on this registration and so was unable to help, though the photograph’s did make me wonder if this car is actually a Series III car built between 1962 and 1963 because the fog lights are recessed into the front wing fender panel.

Ferrari 250 GT/E, Silverstone Classic,

Next I had a look at a thread devoted to 250 GT/Es on the Ferrari Chat site, all 30 pages of it, but could not find anything conclusive and so I left a post asking if anyone had the chassis number for the car.

While I was going through the 30 pages I found out that a chap called Tom Wilson tries to keep tabs on all 954 250 GT/E 2+2’s that were built and runs a website dedicated to the model, he likens the self imposed task to a “full time job”.

Ferrari 250 GT/E, Silverstone Classic,

Some interesting stats Tom came up with include; that 221 GT/Es were confirmed alive and well between 2009 and 2011, 2 had been rebuilt as convertibles.

337 GT/Es were confirmed alive and well up to 2009 and there were 129 GT/E’s about which there was no information beyond the factory assigned chassis numbers and build dates.

Ferrari 250 GT/E, Silverstone Classic,

Of the rest 45 had been converted into SWB Berlinetta’s, 36 into GTO’s, 34 into Testa Rossas, 19 into California Spyders, 4 into 250 GT TdFs, and 2 into 225 Vignales.

Tom described the remaining 15 GT/Es as having been converted into cars that “defy categorization“.

Ferrari 250 GT/E, Silverstone Classic,

During the hour or so it took me to write this blog there have been two responses to my request for help identifying today’s featured car at Ferrari Chat, Global Moderator El Wayne speculated that the car might have been built in ’63 or actually be a 330 America, same GT/E body but with a bigger engine.

Kare, not or the first time, saved the day by confirming the car is chassis #3601GT a Series II 1962 car, one of at least to originally supplied to an entity known only as “Sonas”, that has been cosmetically altered front and rear to resemble a later Series 3 GT/E.

Primarily for Tom and Kare’s benefit and any other 250 GT/E aficionado’s, here is a list of the six 250 GT/E blog’s I have published so far, with links, that includes one unknown 250 GTO replica which has not so far been confirmed as having 250 GTE underpinnings.

250 GT/E Blogs :-

#2245

#2259

#2835 Wisconsin SWB

#4019 uncredited double bubble Zagato replica

#4049

#4089

#4873 looks like an approximation of a TRC

Unknown Replica

Possible Roelufs 250 GTO Replica does this have 250 GT/E underpinnings ?

My thanks to Kare at Ferrari chat for once again for identifying today’s featured car.

Thanks for joining me on this “Keeping Tabs On 954 2+2s” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow when I’ll be looking at another unique special. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Intelnet Carceaology Detective Agency – Ferrari 375 Pininfarina America #0319AL

Today’s Ferrari Friday blog is a real team effort and I’d like to start by thanking four people without whom you would be staring at a funky photo of a Meridian Bridge in Spain. First thanks must go to the amazing Mr Ed Arnaudin who took today’s photograph nearly 54 years ago in 1957, second thanks must go to Ed’s son Steve who took the time and patience to sort through his Dad’s slides scan them and then send them to me 3,500 miles away.

Third there are two people at Ferrari Chat who deserve a special mention, first Kare in Helsinki Finland for having the patience to answer each of my dumb *ss questions before convincing myself that what he said in the first place id correct and finally special thanks must go to Boudewijn Berkhoff who took it upon himself to bring a faded 54 year old slide back to life.

Ed’s photo is not the easiest to analyse because if you search Google Images you’ll find several vehicles similar but frustratingly with completely different names in particular the 250 Pininfarina Europa and the 375 Pininfarina America.

This only makes sense when one learns that in 1953 Ferrari launched two cars one at the European market the 250 Europa with a 3 litre 183 CUI Colombo designed short block V12 and the other aimed at the US market with a later 4.5 litre 274 CUI Aurelio Lambredi designed long block V12, both cars looked more or less identical with body work by Pininfarina, however they were not assembled on a production line so each differed from the other with varying degrees of obviousness.

In all 21 Europa’s were built mostly with Pininfarina bodies while 45 300 hp 150 mph 375’s were built from 1953 to 1955, just 8 of those 45 had Pininfarina bodies and one of those was a one off coupe with a wrap around windsceen which makes the car in Ed’s photo just one of seven. But which one ?

Once the car model was identified it was relatively easy to find out the whereabouts of those seven Pininfarina bodied cars today; three are red, one is two tone silver, another is silver but with a much larger chrome grill, one is green, another blue and the last is black.

Thanks to the aforementioned Kare I found out that the black 375 was originally grey with red interior delivered bearing the chassis number #0319AL to a Mr Carpenter. Thanks to Tom Roland we have 21st September 1957 as the probable date this photo was taken.

I’d also like to thank Aardy, tx246, Motob, of2worlds, and Ed Niles for chipping in with opinions that hopefully has seen an approximation of the truth emerge.

Hope you have enjoyed today’s detective mystery trip in an extremely rare motor car and that you’ll join me in thanking everyone who helped make today’s blog possible.

Join me again tomorrow for a look at another Italian vehicle photographed by Ed, don’t forget to come back now !

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