2017 Gooding Pebble Beach Sale (Ferrari 275 GTB/C Announcement)

A 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C (Estimate: $12,000,000-$16,000,000) is a late top entry for the Gooding Pebble Beach 2017 classic car sale.

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C © Gooding

Gooding announced a rare 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Competizione as one of the two top entries for the Pebble Beach auction in mid-August 2017. This Ferrari comes with a whopping estimate of $12,000,000 to $16,000,000 and will compete with the 1970 Porsche 917K with Steve McQueen’s Le Mans movie connection for top honors in California.

Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Sale 2017

Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, will held its annual Monterey Week classic car auctions on August 18 & 19, 2017, at the Equestrian Center in Pebble Beach, California.

In 2016, Gooding set a new company record earning $129,8 million in sales during the two-day event. The 115 of the 138 lots offered sold for a sell-through rate of 83% and an average of $1,128,606 per car. Gooding sold 26 cars for more than a million dollars with four selling for more than $10 million.

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C at Pebble Beach 2017

A 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C, chassis 09051, estimate: $12,000,000 to $16,000,000, is likely to be one of the highlights of the 2017 Monterey auction week. Despite intensively raced in period, this still retains its exotic ultra-thin bodywork, original chassis and original engine.

“We are thrilled to present this extremely desirable Ferrari at our Pebble Beach Auctions, as great 275 GTB/Cs rarely come up for sale. These are exciting purpose-built competition cars from Ferrari’s golden age, and they are brilliant to drive – as fast and visceral as any thoroughbred racing car of the era, yet completely user-friendly and perfectly suited for the open road.” says David Brynan, Senior Specialist at Gooding & Company. “This car, with its extensive Italian racing history, superb provenance, and sensational restoration by Motion Products, is a fantastic piece, truly a best-of-the-best example. Offered from a distinguished private collection, this GTB/C is all the more exciting because it has been kept out of the public eye for a decade and was last seen crossing the award ramp at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2007.”

Development of the Ferrari 275 GTB/C Series

The engine bay of chassis 09051 and its unique three Weber 40 DFI carburetor setup
© Gooding

Starting with the Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta of 1950, Ferrari offered competition-specification GT cars to customers who demanded automobiles that were equally at home on the road or track. In 1953, Ferrari introduced the 250 series of competition cars, which culminated in the renowned 250 GTO.

When the FIA refused to homologate the mid-engine 250 LM for the 1965 season, Ferrari decided to build three special competition cars based on the recently released 275 GTB. These cars featured 250 LM-specification engines and chassis lightened in every conceivable way.

Due to the success of these three 1965 cars, Ferrari produced a limited series of 12 similar cars for the 1966 season. The result was the 275 GTB/C – the “C” standing for competizione. These tailor-made GT cars included the best weight-saving techniques. The bodies were among the thinnest aluminum shells ever built for a Ferrari, the windows and rear screen were made of lightweight Perspex instead of glass, and Borrani aluminum-rimmed wire-spoked wheels completed the package.

The 3.3-liter V-12 engine featured high-lift camshafts, 250 LM-type valves, competition pistons, a redesigned crankshaft, and Weber 40 DFI/3 carburetors. In addition, the engine was also set up with dry sump lubrication in place of the standard wet sump road-going system.

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C, Chassis 09051

Completed in July 1966, this GTB/C, chassis 09051, was the sixth example built and was one of only eight specified in left-hand drive. It was originally finished in the distinctive color scheme of Argento Metallizzato (Silver Metallic) with black leather upholstery. This GTB/C was successfully raced in Italy between 1966 and 1970 with numerous class and overall wins captured by its first two owners – Renzo Sinibaldi and Alberto Federici.

“Ferrari’s type 275 GTB/C is the last single cam competition Berlinetta,” states renowned Ferrari historian Marcel Massini. “These cars were specifically built for the 1966 racing season. Only 12 of these cars were built, all equipped with a unique lightweight chassis, special 250 LM-type engine, transaxle and paper thin Scaglietti bodywork.

Chassis 09051 competing
Courtesy of Marcel Massini

Chassis 09051 participated in more than 20 races, winning its class numerous times. GTB/Cs are basically considered 250 GTOs for 1966 and, as such, are extremely sought-after. Super rare, very fast, beautiful and perfectly driveable.”

Since its active racing career, the 275 GTB/C has been a fixture in prominent private collections in the UK and the US. In 2004, the GTB/C was sold to the current owner, a discerning collector with a passion for the finest Italian sports and racing cars.

In early 2007, the collector entrusted the car to Wayne Obry’s Motion Products Inc. in Neenah, Wisconsin, a firm widely regarded as the preeminent Ferrari specialist in the US. MPI refinished the car to its original 1966 racing livery, and 09051 was displayed at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it scored 99 points and was awarded a Second in Class trophy in one of the most competitive categories. This was the last time this car was exhibited.

In 2013, the Ferrari returned to MPI, where, in addition to a complete re-restoration of the bodywork, the car was mechanically rebuilt to exacting standards. No expense has been spared on this exceptional car, and it is offered with an extensive history file and significant accessories. This is a rare opportunity to own a genuine 275 GTB/C that still retains its exotic ultra-thin bodywork, original chassis and original engine.

More Information on the Monterey Week Classic Car Auctions 2017

  • Monterey Week – Updates on all Monterey week 2017 auctions
  • Pebble Beach – Updates on Gooding auction announcements, previews and results
  • Monterey – Updates on RM Sotheby’s auction announcements, previews and results
  • Quail Lodge – Updates on Bonhams auction announcement, previews and results